Beruflich Dokumente
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2
Smart Kanji Book
Now released under CC-BY-SA 2.0 license.
Inspired by:
James W. Heisigs Remembering the Kanji
http://kanji.koohii.com
cbs excellent Kanji Word Association Tool
Built with:
XeTeX
KanjiVG
EDICT
Introduction
S mart Kanji Book is a kanji ebook with Remembering-the-Kanji-ish stories but featuring only 734 kanji that make up over 87% of Wikipedia AND vocabulary with kanji
you know.
How to read a kanji or primitive frame If the character is a pictogram, you should
imagine and draw the object it represents until it seems obvious the pictogram represents
this object.
If the character is composed of smaller parts, then make a story:
1. Read the books story then reword it and imagine it in your own way.
2. In your story, emphasize the kanjis keyword(s) and the components keywords.
3. Check the stroke order diagram if necessary and slowly write out each part of the
kanji while repeating the corresponding keywords out loud.
4. Rewrite the kanji from the story without looking at the book. If you have any difficulty recalling it, your story hasnt worked. Change it to something you remember
better. For example, if you have trouble remembering component order, you might
want to order the keywords in the story too.
5. Read vocabulary words; they only contain kanji youve already seen. Most importantly, you should make connections between kanji and words such as Aha, ground
+ drawing = map! Second, you can memorize the pronunciation of words you
think are important, but its unnecessary for reading comprehension. Definitions
are not trimmed, so as to give you a precise idea of the meaning and the importance
of the word.
The whole process can take anywhere from 3 to 10 minutes. Feel free to put a kanji aside
if youre getting stuck on it.
Dictionary abbreviations you need to know
uk Usually written in Katakana only. However, its sometimes useful to know the kanji.
pref/suf Prefix, Suffix
n Noun
adj-(i/na) i/na adjective, see your grammar textbook.
adj-no no adjective, typically a noun thats often used as an adjective with .
vt/vi Transitive/Intransitive verb, see your grammar textbook.
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4
Discalaimer This book is full of bad naughty jokes that do not represent anybody
evers opinion but should help you remembering the mnemoic.
Chapter 1
Pictograms and first associations
In this chapter youll learn simple pictograms that are very common both as kanji and
primitives in other kanji. If you havent already, please open or print stroke_order.pdf.
Numbers
: mouth, hole
Pictogram of a round hole like a mouth. Among kanji, there are no circles.
You can learn it as a different arabic 4 or imagine a giant family of four at a square
table eating human legs for dinner.
(num) four
: five
+ 2 more lines = 5. Also it looks like a 5.
(num) five.
: nine
You can view it as a 9 or a n for nine.
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(num) nine
: drop
: round
: ten, needle
Pictogram for a 10 needle.
: thousand
You can imagine a dropper or a 10 with two more drops (10 0 0).
: bound together
: ten thousand (one man)
: sun, day
Pictogram of the round sun with the brightest part in the middle.
: white, pure
(adj-i) white
: one hundred
Imagine a ceiling so dirty you have to paint it 100 times to make it look clean!
Day Parts
: early, quick
WTF, the sun is up and its already 10? Quick, quick, quick!!!! If today were
Saturday though, it would be too early to move...
(adj-i) fast; quick; hasty; brisk. early (in the day, etc.); premature.
(too) soon; not yet; (too) early. easy; simple; quick
(n) already; as early as.
(n-suf,n-adv) as soon as...; just after...; immediately after...; (adv)
hurriedly; in haste; quickly; promptly; early
: moon, month
Pictogram: compare a waning moon to the sun. Remember that in most cultures
a month a moon cycle 28 days. Also, as a component, it will sometimes mean
flesh
(n-suf) month (of the year); used after number or question word (e.g. nan
or nani).
(n-adv) March
: bright, tomorrow
The sun and the moon are brightest sources of light in the day and night, respectively. Tomorrow is when the sun succeeds the moon.
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(n-t) tomorrow
(adj-i) bright; colourful. cheerful. familiar (with); knowledgeable (about). fair (e.g. politics); clean
(adj-na,n) obvious; evident; clear; plain
: morning
, , ,
In the morning, Appolo/Amun-Ra/God takes the sun between needles (its hot
and the tool is convenient) and throws away the moon.
(n-adv,n-t) morning
(n-adv,n-t) early morning
: evening
Pictogram of an evening crescent moon.
evening
: many
2-evening delivery? Thats wayyy too many! Im a millennial child, I want instant
gratification!
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(n,pref) multi-
: name
The NSA and the TSA have just made a law which forces you to keep saying your
name with your mouth (dont try to circumvent with a smartphone) every 10 seconds
when it gets dark for security reasons...
Big, Small
: person
Simplified pictogram of a person: the head and arms are missing.
(n) person.
Note: As a component, it will have a slightly different form and well picture an
bermensch like Segata Sanshiro (you should google if you dont know him), James
Bond or Chuck Norris.
: fire
Pictogram of a flame or of a burning teepee/shelter.
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: big
Pictogram of a big St Bernard dog with 4 paws stretched out. Well use big dog
as a primitive meaning.
: fat
The big dog fat dog (or its big fat owner) is dropping drops of shit.
: dog
(n) dog
: weather, sky
The sky is the Biggest Celling... Remember how old kanji are.
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(n) sky.
(n) dawn; daybreak. Temmei era (1781.4.2-1789.1.25).
: tree, wood
Pictogram of a tree.
: book, origin
A shady book manufacturer and publisher cuts one slice in a tree to make one book.
Also, since this kanji is in the word : truth, the manufacturer guarantees
everything thats in their book is true... why dont you trust!
(n) book; volume; script; (pref) this; present. main; head. real; regular;
(suf,ctr) counter for long cylindrical things; counter for films, TV shows, etc.;
counter for goals, home runs, etc.; counter for telephone calls; .
(n) Japan.
(n) Japanese person; Japanese people.
: to rest
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: small
, ,
: few
A big drop turned into a few (three) smaller drops. Between size and quantity, the
difference is just a drop anyway...
: show
One, TWO, THREEE... Two 4th-graders drop their towels to show their little
dicks in the boys changing room... or not, it may be a joke.
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to show; to represent; to signify; to display
(n) discipline; revelation
(n,adj-no,vs) specification; explicit statement
Inside, Outside
: belt
: enter, get in
Pictogram of a teepee/igloo/whatever entrance.
(v5r,vi) to get in; to go in; to come in; to flow into; to set; to set in
(v1,vt) to put in; to let in; to take in; to bring in; to insert; to set
(a jewel, etc.); to ink in (e.g. a tattoo). to admit; to accept; to employ; to
hire. to accept; to comply; to grant; to adopt (a policy, etc.); to take (advice,
etc.); to listen to; to pay attention to. to include. to pay (ones rent, etc.).
to cast (a vote). to make (tea, coffee, etc.). to turn on (a switch, etc.). to
send (a fax); to call
(n,adj-no) entrance; entry; gate; approach; mouth.
: inside
Mistaaa Boonndd, thiis blt wiill keeep you insiide... Oh, and seatbelts keep you
inside your car, too.
(n,adj-no) inside; within. while. among; amongst; between; (pn,adjno) we (referring to ones in-group, i.e. company, etc.); our. my spouse;
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: mountain
Pictogram: remember kanji avoid curved shapes as much as they can.
(v1,vi) to leave; to exit; to go out; to come out; to get out. to leave (on
a journey); to depart; to start out; to set out. to move forward. to come to;
to get to; to lead to; to reach. to appear; to come out; to emerge; to surface;
to come forth; to turn up; to be found; to be detected; to be discovered; to be
exposed; to show; to be exhibited; to be on display. to appear (in print); to be
published; to be announced; to be issued; to be listed; to come out. to attend;
to participate; to take part; to enter (an event); to play in; to perform. to be
stated; to be expressed; to come up; to be brought up; to be raised. to sell.
to exceed; to go over. to stick out; to protrude. to break out; to occur; to
start; to originate. to be produced. to come from; to be derived from. to
be given; to get; to receive; to be offered; to be provided; to be presented; to
be submitted; to be handed in; to be turned in; to be paid. to answer (phone,
door, etc.); to get. to assume (an attitude); to act; to behave. to pick up
(speed, etc.); to gain. to flow (e.g. tears); to run; to bleed. to graduate
(v5s,vt) to take out; to get out. to put out; to reveal; to show. to
submit (e.g. thesis); to turn in. to publish; to make public. to send (e.g.
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letter). to produce (a sound); to start (fire). to serve (food); (suf,v5s) to
begin ...; to start to ...; to burst into ...
(v1,vi) to go out (e.g. on an excursion or outing); to leave; to
depart; to start; to set out. to be about to leave; to be just going out.
: magic wand
(n,arch) fortune-telling; divination.
(vs-s) to tell (a persons) fortune; to divine; to fix; to choose.
(v5u) to tell a fortune; to predict; to choose; to settle; to fix.
: outside
Think D&D or Harry Potter: alone in a weird city in the late creepy evening with
just a magic wand.
Above, Below
: above
This multi-function magic wand can... stand above the floor!
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: below
Thats not all: this great magic wand can also lie below the ceiling! 25% off and
free shipping.
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(plates); to remove (food, etc. from table or altar)
: stand
Pictogram for a vase standing up. Actually, the top two strokes are the primitive
for top hat as in .
Eye
: eye
SRLY _ ? Dis iz a pictogram for eye: draw an eye with only two color and
get rid of round shapes.
(n) eye; eyeball. eyesight; sight; vision. look; stare; glance. an experience.
viewpoint. stitch; texture; weave; (suf) ordinal number suffix. somewhat;
-ish
(v5t,vi) to be conspicuous; to stand out
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: see
This new NSA device, an Eye with very long Legs and great zoom, allows them to
See everything.
: shell(fish)
, animal legs
A weird shellfish, with just an eye and small legs (NOTE: these legs are animal
legs, shorter than human legs). It looks a lot like Pokemons Kabuto and Shellder
(just google).
: to lose, to surrender
Tied up, the shellfish Pokemon has to surrender (in a Pokeball?).
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: buy
(90),
As wed like to take all of yout money (currency), wed like you to cover your eyes
with a couple of shells as you enter the store and make stupid purchases. Thank you
for your understanding and please come back often. Sincerely, A Brand You Hate.
: inter-something, minister
The stupid minister (that is, politician) is having inter-course with his secretary
behind that tree and feels 100% safe from prying eyes! Alternatively, he can fuck the
tree itself in front of the cameras.
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: oneself
Japanese girls often point their fingers at their nose (drop between eyes) to mean
I, myself instead of or in addition of using a pronoun like (w)atashi.
Focus is when your eye is focused on a few things (figuratively) or a small area
(literally).
Sword
: sword, dagger
Pictogram of a curved katana and a straight wakizashi... or a sword in a bending
persons ass.
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Theorem: if a anything is entered by a sword, its cut into several pieces. Special
cases: a clock is cut into minutes and a textbook is cut into bits of knowledge.
: add
: cut
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If you think of as a pair os scissors, you get a pair of scissors and a dagger. If
you think of as seven, you get seven samurais.
(suf,v5r,vt) to cut; to cut through; to perform (surgery). to sever
(connections, ties). to turn off (i.e. the light). to terminate (i.e. a conversation); to hang up (the phone); to disconnect. to punch (a ticket); to tear
off (a stub). to open (something sealed). to start. to set (a limit); to do
(something) in less or within a certain time; to issue (stamps, vouchers, etc.).
to reduce; to decrease; to discount. to shake off (water, etc.); to let drip-dry;
to let drain. to cross; to traverse. to criticize sharply. to act decisively;
to do (something noticeable); to go first; to make (certain facial expressions, in
kabuki). to turn (a vehicle). to curl (a ball); to bend; to cut. to shuffle
(cards). to dismiss; to sack; to let go; to expulse; to excommunicate. to
dig (a groove); to cut (a stencil, on a mimeograph). to trump. (in Go) to
isolate (an opponents stone). to start a fire (with wood-wood friction or by
striking a metal against stone). to draw (a shape) in the air (with a sword,
etc.); (suf,v5r) (after the -masu stem of a verb) to finish; to complete
(v1,vi) to break; to snap; to be cut; to split; to crack. to be
injured. to wear out; to be worn out. to break; to burst; to collapse. to
wear off; to stop working; to go dead. to expire (time limit, etc.); to run out;
to become due. to run out (of stock, etc.); to be exhausted; to be used up; to
be sold out; to be out of. to be broken off (e.g. of a relationship); to break
up; to have severed ties; to be cut off; to be disconnected. to cut well; to be
sharp. to be sharp-minded; to be keen; to be shrewd; to be quick-witted; to
be able. to be short of; to drop under (a certain figure); to beat (e.g. a record
time). to dry off. to curve; to veer. to shuffle (cards). (col) to get angry;
to snap; to blow ones top; to lose ones temper; to flip; (suf,v1) to be able to
do completely
(io,n) large cut (e.g. of meat). last piece of the days programme;
last act of a play; comic dialogue as the last item in vaudeville, music hall, etc..
Chapter 2
Map
At the end of this chapter, youll be able to understand most of this map!
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CHAPTER 2. MAP
Map
: soil, ground
Pictogram for a needle, like Excalibur or a grave cross, planted in soil.
(n) earth; soil; dirt; clay; mud. the earth (historically, esp. as opposed
to the heavens); the ground; the land. low-quality torinoko-gami (containing
mud). (period of) refraining from construction in the direction of the god of
the earth (in Onyoudou)
(n) mainland; ones home country; the country proper
(n,vs) archeological excavation (archaeological)
: scorpion
: land (lot)
Just picture a land whose ground is full of scorpions (or Pokemons). Its heavily
discounted.
(n) (abbr) ground; land; earth; soil. the region in question; the local area.
skin. texture; fabric; material; weave. base; background. ones true nature.
narrative (i.e. descriptive part of a story). real life; actuality. (in the game
of go) captured territory. noh chorus. (in Japanese dance) accompaniment
music. (in Japanese music) basic phrase (usu. repetitive). base part (of
multiple shamisens).
(n) plot of land; lot; soil
(n,adj-no) above ground; surface. earth; world
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: map, chart
Pictogram for a treasure map.
(n) map
(n,n-suf) drawing; picture; diagram; figure; illustration; chart; graph. sight;
scene
(v5r,vt) to plot; to attempt; to plan; to devise; to design. to take in;
to deceive. to aim for; to have something in mind. to refer A to B
Directions
: direction
Taadaaaaa: this sword over a reversed top hat works as a compass! Even if it stops
working, you can still use the sword and ask for direction...
(suf) suffix used as a rough indicator of location, direction, time, etc..
(n) one (esp. of two); the other; one way; the other way; one
direction; the other direction; one side; the other side; one party; the other
party; (conj) on the one hand; on the other hand. whereas; although; but at
the same time; meanwhile; in turn; (n-adv,n-suf) (after noun, adjective-stem
or plain verb) just keeps; being inclined to ...; tending to be ...; tending to do
...; continuously ...; just keeps on ...ing; only
(n,adj-no) area; locality; district; region; province. countryside; rural
area. coast (esp. as seen from the water). person singing ballads in noh;
person in charge of music in a Japanese dance performance.
: spoon
(ok,n) spoon.
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CHAPTER 2. MAP
: north
I learned this kanji as a pictogram for N as in North because its hard to come
up with a compelling story for it.
: east
: spicy
Some food like wasabi, curry and Thai food are so spicy they make you wanna
stand up as if you were sat on needles.
(adj-i) spicy; hot. salty. harsh (criticism); severe (punishment);
strict. painful; bitter; difficult; tough
(adv,uk) barely; narrowly; just manage to do something
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: happiness
Though one perfectly dosed bite of this kind a food can bring you happiness.
(adj-na,n) happiness; good fortune; luck; blessing
(adj-na,n) happiness; blessedness; luck; fortune; felicity; (adv)
luckily; fortunately
(n) good luck; fortune; happiness.
(n) south
(n,adj-no) south; southern; southward
: west
(n,abbr) Spain.
(n,adj-no) east and west. Orient and Occident; East and West;
(exp) (abbr) Ladies and Gentlemen!; Your attention, please!; roll-up, roll-up
(n) western direction. (Buddh,abbr) Western Pure Land (Amitabhas
Buddhist paradise).
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CHAPTER 2. MAP
: middle, dans
(n,adj-no) inside; within. while. among; amongst; between; (pn,adjno) we (referring to ones in-group, i.e. company, etc.); our. my spouse;
(n) (arch) imperial palace grounds. (arch) emperor; (pn,adj-no) (ksb:) I
(primarily used by women and children); me.
(adv) some (of them); among (them).
(exp,adv) wherein; therein; thereinto.
Nature
: rice field
Pictogram of a simple rice field divided into four parts... just picture a western
field seen from a hill or satellite.
, : wood, forest
Two trees represent the woods, three represent a big forest.
(n) woods; forest; copse; thicket
(n,vs) stand close together
(n) forest. shrine grove
tree
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(n,adj-no) forest; woods
: water
This pictogram is pretty hard; you can imagine some stick dropping in water and
recopy it a dozen times.
(n) (abbr) Wednesday. shaved ice (served with flavored syrup). water
(fifth of the five elements).
(n,adj-no) underwater
(n) aquatic; on the water
: walking legs
: winter
(n-adv,n-t) winter
(n) winter vacation
: eternity
An hour is to eternity what a drop of water is to oceans.
(adj-na,n,adj-no) eternity; perpetuity; immortality.
(adj-i) long (time); lengthy.
(v1,vi) to have a long life; to live a long time.
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CHAPTER 2. MAP
: swim
: fountain
: mother
Pictogram of a mothers two breasts.
(ok,n,hum) mother.
(n,hon) mother
(n) mother
: every
lying down,
Nested lying down primitive. Every life starts out lied down in ones mothers
uterus, which led Freud to believe that every man wants to lie down with his mother
ever after.
(n-adv,n-t) every day
(n-adv,n-t) every morning
(n-adv,n) every month; each month; monthly
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: sea
(Almost) every drop of water comes back to the sea. The sea is every drop of
water.
(n) sea; beach
(n,adj-no) foreign; abroad; overseas
: boiling
: fish
, ,
Put a bunch of bound up fishes on the squared grill and boil their brains; savor.
(n) fish.
: bird
, , tail feather
: island
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CHAPTER 2. MAP
turf
: stream
Pictogram for a stream.
(n) river; stream; (suf) the .... river; (suffix used with the names of rivers)
: state
If you look at a US map, states are really just drops of land between rivers.
(n) state; province; county; department (of ancient China). continent;
(suf) (arch) (after someones name) dear
(n) Kyushu (southernmost of the four main islands of Japan)
(n) Kitakyushu (city).
: extinguish, erase
, ,
On the left, a small moon with a little white spark. On the right, water to extinguish it.
(v1,vi) to go out; to vanish; to disappear
(v5s,vt) to erase; to delete; to cross out. to turn off power. to
extinguish; to put out. (sl) to bump off
(v5s,vt) to erase; to drown out (e.g. noise, sound).
: street
Pictogram of a T-intersection.
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(ctr) counter for sheets, pages, leaves, etc.. counter for blocks of
tofu; counter for servings in a restaurant. counter for long and narrow things
such as guns, scissors, spades, hoes, inksticks, palanquins, candles, jinrikishas,
shamisen, oars, etc.; (n) even number. 109.09 m.
(n) district of a town; city block (of irregular size)
Note: Its also the pictogram of a nail so well use that meaning as a kanji part.
: go, column
, , ,
Its hard to make a story with parts, so you can see a pictogram of a boat moving
downward. Katakana trick: ite, as in Monthy Pythons Romani ite domum scene, is
a Latin imperative for go.
: can, possibility
Obamas 2008 campaign: tons of mouths in the street shouting yes we can!. Very
often in France, union and workers in the same situation: yes we can get what we
want!. As a kanji part, well use the other meaning of can.
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CHAPTER 2. MAP
: river
Imagine a river in a half can of water, with a big can a water as source and many
small cans as destination. It sounds like a level in a recent Mario game.
(n) river; stream; (suf) the .... river; (suffix used with the names of rivers)
(n) large river
(n,adj-no) mouth of river; estuary
: what
What in the world is impossible for Segata Sanshiro / Chuck Norris / James Bond?
No, they can do anything.
: strange
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(adv) strangely; oddly; miraculously; mysteriously.
: town, neighborhood
Many small and medium towns in rural areas are literally a bunch of streets surrounded by rice fields, just one farmer neighborhood.
(n) town; block; neighbourhood; neighborhood. street; road. 109.09
m. 0.99 hectares.
(n) low-lying part of a city (usu. containing shops, factories, etc.).
Shitamachi (low-lying area of eastern Tokyo near Tokyo Bay, inc. Asakusa,
Shitaya, Kanda, Fukugawa, Honjo, Nihonbashi, Kyobashi and surrounds)
(n) merchant
: glued to
(n) one sun (approx. 3.03 cm). a little bit (of time, distance, etc.).
(n) sun (approx. 3.03 cm).
(n-adv,n-t) tiny bit.
: village
Video game analogy: in RPGs, villages are often near dangerous forests (but only
if you get in!). In RTSs (like Age Ofs), villages are often near trees (-> wood) and
mines (-> gold).
(n) village
(n) villager
(n) mountain village
: to attach, to adhere
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CHAPTER 2. MAP
Segata Sanshiros equipment is not attached but glued to him, just as his ideals
are figuratively.
(v5k,vi) to be attached; to be connected with; to adhere; to stick; to
cling. to remain imprinted; to scar; to stain; to dye. to bear (fruit, interest,
etc.). to be acquired (of a habit, ability, etc.); to increase (of strength, etc.).
to take root. to accompany; to attend; to follow; to study with. to side
with; to belong to. to possess; to haunt. to be lit; to be lighted. to be
settled; to be resolved; to be decided. to be given (of a name, price, etc.).
to be sensed; to be perceived. to be lucky; (suf,v5k) (after -masu stems,
onomatopoeic and mimetic words) to become (a state, condition, etc.).
(v1,vt) to attach; to join; to add; to append; to affix; to stick; to
glue; to fasten; to sew on; to apply (ointment). to furnish (a house with).
to wear; to put on. to keep a diary; to make an entry. to appraise; to set
(a price). to bring alongside. to place (under guard or doctor). to follow;
to shadow. to load; to give (courage to). to keep (an eye on). to establish
(relations or understanding). to turn on (light)
(n-suf) dated (e.g. a letter); date of effect (e.g. a rule change).
: cave
: prefecture, province
The prefecture decided to solve overcrowding by expanding into caves... You have
to adhere because a slight majority of inhabitants voted for them a few years ago...
(n) (metropolitan) prefecture (of Osaka and Kyoto). the centre or seat (of)
(center). (government) office.
(n) provincial capital (under the ritsuryo system); provincial office.
public place of imperial rule.
(n,vs) going to the capital; working in a government office.
: well
Pictogram of a fenced well. Today, this kanji is mostly used in the context of oil.
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(n) ceiling; ceiling price
(n) well.
: surround
, pent in
Google Kakariko Village, a Zelda (most notably OOT) village pent in around a
well.
(v5m,vt) to surround; to encircle; to enclose; to fence; to wall in. to
besiege; to lay siege to. to play (go, shogi, etc.)
(v5u,vt) to enclose; to surround; to encircle; to fence; to wall in.
to shelter (e.g. a criminal); to shield; to hide; to protect. to keep (e.g. a
mistress). to store (vegetables, fruit, etc.); to preserve. (arch) to protect; .
(n) enclosure; paling; storage
: ward, district
This pictogram speaks for itself to me but you can imagine Shibuya, the district
full of weird leg-crossing eccentric girl or Akihabara, the district full of X-gadgets like
Xboxes or Xperias.
: yawn, lack
Actually, the top component is slightly different from lied down, so you can see a
Manga-style pictogram of a person yawning because she lacks interest or energy.
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CHAPTER 2. MAP
toward. (of the moon) to wane; to go into eclipse
: Europe
Japanese people work/study long hours and have a ton more available entertainment than the average European. To them, Europe is the district of the world where
you yawn and lack Japanese products, which are always released in Japan first then
in America and finally in Europe.
(n,adj-no) Western Europe
(n) Europe
(n,adj-no) Northern Europe; land of the Norsemen; Scandinavia
: towel
: market, municipality
In France at least, you can see a few beach tourists wandering through the food or
tourist market wearing nothing but a top hat and a towel. By extension, this kanji
also mean the whole municipality around the market.
: hook
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: to fix, directly
, ,
If you hook a needle in your eye, go to a hospital immediately and see if they can
fix it.
(v5s,vt) to cure; to heal. to fix; to correct; to repair; (aux-v) to do
over again (after -masu base of verb). (ksb:) to replace; to put back as it was.
to convert (into a different state); to transform
(n) Atai (post-Taika hereditary title often given to regional administrators).
(adv) at once; immediately; directly; in person; automatically
: prefecture
A Japanese prefecture is a small piece of land that trains cross straightaway and
thats straightforward to administer.
(n) territory (pre-Taika: under the Yamato court; Heian: under a provincial governor, etc.). (arch) countryside.
(adj-no,n) prefectural (institution)
(adj-no) within the prefecture
: placement, position
: high, tall
, , ,
Two kids trying to look tall; the top one is wearing a hat and standing over the
belt of the weird suit.
(adj-i) high; tall. expensive
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CHAPTER 2. MAP
: capital city
The capital city is the huge town full of tall buildings and full of small people.
(n) Tokyo
(n) imperial capital (esp. Kyoto). final word of an iroha-uta; (num)
1016; 10,000,000,000,000,000; ten quadrillion (short scale); ten thousand billion
(long scale)
Whats the next big trendy thing thats taking over Tokyo and other capitals? A
new pet/robotic shop that sells (robotic) small dogs with one humanoid robotic leg!
: muzzle
: city wall
: (de)part(ment)
The inner city is the part where everyone is a dangerous muzzled criminal or noisy
party guy. Said Oversheltering Suburban Mom.
43
: bush
: domestic (home country)
(n) country; (the) state. region. (obs) province (of Japan). home (i.e.
hometown, home country). (arch) land; earth.
(n) Japanese national (esp. one living overseas). fellow countryman; .
(n) this country; our country.
: defense, protection
Draw a typical medieval city: there is one city wall gate for each cardinal direction
and its defended by guards.
(v5g,vt) to defend (against); to protect; to prevent
(n) fire fighting; fire department
: king
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CHAPTER 2. MAP
The King is the One who reigns over the Soil. In European monarchies, he used
to get his power from God (the sky, ceiling).
(n,n-suf) king; ruler; sovereign; monarch. king (for senior player) (shogi).
tycoon; magnate; champion; master
(n,hon) king.
: The Emperor
: ball, jewel
The king owns a lot of jewellery but only one pair of drops of family jewels (aka.
balls)...
(n) eyeball.
: country
Road
45
: horns
: neck
Neck is what fits your V-shaped collar on yourself. If you dont like that human
analogy, feel free to make your own monster analogy.
: road
: way, road
On the railway, if you go on the train roof when it enters a tunnel, youre risking
your neck.
: to guide
Glue a GPS on the windshield and stay glued to the way it shows.
(v5k,vt) to guide; to lead; to show the way; to conduct. to derive;
to deduce
(n,vs) introduction; bringing in; leading in; installation
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CHAPTER 2. MAP
: environs, border
Border is the peripheral road defended with swords. Think about Gibraltar or
Mexican borders.
(n) (uk) on the bank of; by the side of (e.g. a river, pond). (in the)
neighbourhood; neighborhood; vicinity; nearby
(suf) suffix used as a rough indicator of location, direction, time, etc..
(pn,adj-no) this area; around here.
: cliff
: crotch
(adv,conj,pref,uk) again; and; also; still (doing something)
(adv,uk) again (and again); once again.
(conj,exp,uk) or; otherwise
: anti
47
(v5s,vt) to return (something); to restore; to put back. to turn over;
to turn upside down; to overturn. to pay back; to retaliate; to reciprocate;
(suf,v5s) (after the -masu stem of a verb) to repeat ...; to do ... back
For a retailer (especially online), a return means the product making the anti-road
and them paying the anti-money...
(v5s,vt) to return (something); to restore; to put back. to turn over;
to turn upside down; to overturn. to pay back; to retaliate; to reciprocate;
(suf,v5s) (after the -masu stem of a verb) to repeat ...; to do ... back
(v5r,vi) to return; to come back; to go back. to turn over; (suf,v5r)
(after the -masu stem of a verb) (to become) extremely; (to become) completely;
.
(n,vs,adj-no,adj-na) repetition; repeat; reiteration; iteration;
refrain; cycle; (n-adv) repeatedly.
Once youre rooted in a house and are near the end of the carrier road, you retire.
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CHAPTER 2. MAP
: root
Rocky Hills
: mountain goat
: invert
This great mountain goat can invert his direction in half-a-second, just like Micheal
Jackson!
49
A mount or a hill is just some kind of big rocky glass cover with mountain goats
on it (looking from far away, they look in it).
(n) hill; height; knoll; rising ground.
(n) Okayama prefecture (Chuugoku area).
: both
, ,
Two ways of killing yourself: hang yourself at the ceiling with your belt or climb a
mountain unprepared. Both work: trust me, I did both!
(pref,uk) both.
(n,adj-no) both; both sides; both parties
(n) both people.
: full
, ,
When theres only water or flowers in a vase, its full; when there is both, its more
than full.
(v1,vi) to be full. to wax (e.g. moon). to rise (e.g. tide). to
mature; to expire
(v5s,vt) to satisfy; to fulfill; to appease. to fill (e.g. a cup); to
pack. to reach (a certain number)
(n,pref) full (years, etc.). whole; all. fully enough; not lacking; (n)
(abbr) Manchuria.
: axe
(n) (arch) unit of weight 600g. (arch) pound (unit of mass: 453.6g).
loaf (of bread).
(n) weight.
(n) 1 kin ( 0.6kg). 1 loaf of bread.
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CHAPTER 2. MAP
: near
: new
spicy, tree,
New crappy product: a slice of spicy tree... Prepare to discover a new, unprecedentedly painful level of spiciness.
(adj-i) new; novel; fresh; recent; latest; up-to-date; modern
(pref) new.
: finger
: break, fold
: strike
51
Insanely severe teacher, parent or torturer strikes a kids finger with a hammer and
nails.
(v5t,vt) to hit; to strike; to knock; to beat; to punch; to slap; to tap; to
bang; to clap; to pound. to strike (noon, etc.); to sound (cymbals, etc.); to
beat (a drum, etc.). to beat (rhythmically, e.g. pulse, waves, etc.). to move;
to impress; to touch. to drive in; to hammer in; to put in; to inject. to type;
to send; to transmit. to insert; to write in; to mark. to make (noodles, etc.);
to prepare. to till (soil). to sprinkle; to throw; to cast. to do; to carry out;
to play; to perform; to engage in (gambling, etc.). to pay (a deposit, etc.).
to visit (on a pilgrimage). to line (a coat). to bind (a criminal)
(v1,vt) to be frank; to speak ones mind; to open ones
heart; .
(ateji,n,abbr,uk) dozen (eng: doz).
: flag
: door
In some patriotic American suburbs, there is exactly one flag per door. In third
world countries too, except the flag IS the door.
: place
A place is a building that has a door where you have to leave your axe.
(suf,ctr) counter for places.
(n,adj-no) neighbourhood; neighborhood
(n,ctr) passage; place; point; part.
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CHAPTER 2. MAP
, animal legs
Think WWI. You stupid soldiers, the general decided we really need to take that
hill despite our 13 failed attempts and the hundreds of corpses and lost legs! So just
run to the hill with your animal legs!
(n) war; battle; campaign; fight. (arch) troops; forces.
(n) Ministry of War (Tang-dynasty China).
(n) (naval) sailor.
: seacoast
Think WWII, Normandy D-Day, tons of soldiers on the coast, some remained in
water and made it look redder.
(n) beach; seashore. (abbr,uk) captured pieces (in the game of go);
captured stones. (abbr) Yokohama. (arch,osb:) riverbank; riverside
(n) beach; foreshore
(n) Tokyo and Yokohama.
: substance
, ,
: rock
Japanese game show, Indiana Jones movie or Mario game with rocks that keep
popping out of a cliff hole.
(n) stone. gem; jewel
(n) large stone; boulder. large group of stones (in the game of go).
53
(n) pebble
Follow the stream from the source fountain at the cliff until youre in a plain/field,
full of raw materials that are the origin of many industrial products.
(pref) original; primitive; primary; fundamental; raw.
: source, origin
: pressure
Pressure is proportional to Mass / Area so the soil under a cliff has a lot of pressure
because of the huge mass of the cliff and the relatively small area.
(v5s,vt) to press. to oppress; to dominate; to overwhelm.
(n) pressure; force.
: dry
Pictogram of a clothesline.
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CHAPTER 2. MAP
: beach
, cliff,
Pebble beaches are perfect places to get dry near the base of a mountain cliff.
(n) bank; coast; shore
(n,adj-no) coast; beach
(n,adj-no) riverbank; riverside. fish market.
: umbrella
: valley
, ,
Either a pictogram of a house with mountains behind or an entrance into a (mountain/girl) umbrella-shapped hole.
(n) valley
A house or dome that contains a whole valley. Maybe Google or the NSA is gonna
do this over Silicon Valley.
55
to cast (a vote). to make (tea, coffee, etc.). to turn on (a switch, etc.). to
send (a fax); to call.
(n) form; shape; figure. visage.
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CHAPTER 2. MAP
Chapter 3
Family
Name
: Family name
, , ,
Really tricky shape, you have to rote learn it. I that helps, it looks like a big F
and small n sharing one stroke: Fn => Family name.
: citizen
: sleep
eye,
Its legal bed time, citizens, close your eyes... And mind what youre saying in your
bed, because Big Brothers eyes are still watching you.
57
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CHAPTER 3. FAMILY
: business card
: bad, low rank
You can only be lower ranked than Segata Sanshiro so you gotta bow low when
you receive his business card... or your body will remember!
(adj-i) low (rank, degree, value, content, quality, etc.). low (position);
close to the ground. short (height). deep (voice); in a low key; low (volume);
.
(n,vs) fall; decline; lowering; deterioration; degradation
(v1,vt) to lower; to be lowered
Head of Family
: husband
Lets begin with the central most important member of the family: the husband!
Notice how hes taller than the sky.
: standard
59
The standard in a company is that you only see typical husband salarymen. Also,
their one point of view is the standard official truth.
(adj-na,adj-no) new; fresh. new customer. new rules or regulations;
.
(n) private regulations; bylaws; internal rules; tradition
: lose
: dart
(ok,n) arrow.
(n-adv,n) an arrow; (a) retort.
(n) fire arrow.
: tribe, family
banner,
The banner part does look like a banner, but copy it a few time to remember
exactly how it is (its components are direction and lied down). For the kanji,
imagine some Native American village with a banner at the entry and a tribe with
darts.
(n,n-suf) tribe; clan; band. (taxonomical) tribe. group (of the periodic
table)
(n) family; relatives; dependents. household
(n,adj-no) people; race; nation; ethnic group; ethnos
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CHAPTER 3. FAMILY
: donation
banner,
: play
banner, ,
: trip
banner, rag
One more nested pictogram: looks like a rag. Ship or diligence departure: people
waving banners and rags.
: faction, party
, zombie
Picture the extended rag as a zombie wearing scary rags. A faction of underwater
zombies.
(adj-na,n) splendid; fine; handsome; elegant; imposing; prominent; legal; legitimate
61
(n,n-suf) clique; faction; school
(n) school; sect; party
: bean
, , , ,
The top is a bean pictogram and the bottom could be a weird plantation or a fart.
(n) legume (esp. edible legumes or their seeds, such as beans, peas, pulses,
etc.); beans; peas. soya bean (soybean); soy (Glycine max). (col) female
genitalia (esp. the clitoris). (food,col) kidney; (n-pref) miniature; tiny.
child
(gikun,n) adzuki beans
(n) soya bean (soybean); soy (Glycine max)
dart,
In some petty American suburb, short faulty minors are forbidden to play darts
and eat beans for security reasons...
(adj-i) short
(n) fault; defect; weak point. minor (music).
, , /oyster
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CHAPTER 3. FAMILY
: summer
In summer, both your head and the center of your walking legs (not crotch) are
hot.
(n) summer.
(n) summer vacation; summer holiday
House
: pig
: ones house (actual kanji)
63
: draw near
: master, landlord
: to live in
Where Segata Sanshiro resides, even hundred of miles around, hes the absolute
master.
(v5m,vi) to live (of humans); to reside; to inhabit; to dwell; to abide; .
(n) address (e.g. of house); residence; domicile
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CHAPTER 3. FAMILY
: fill, pour
Picture Versailles: fill the Sun King (master)s fountain with pure water and pour
exquisite wine in tables hundreds of glasses.
(v5g) to pour (into); to fill. to sprinkle on from above; to shed (e.g.
tears). to concentrate ones spirit (strength, attention) on; (v5g,vi) to fall
onto (of rain, snow)
(n,vs) notice; attention; observation
(n,vs) annotation; explanatory note; comment
: elbow
: climax
wall,
The top part is a nested pictogram for a wall, that is a ceiling on which you can
rest your elbow. Sexual climaxes happen on a wall or on the ground.
: room
, climax
65
(n,adj-no) one room
: roof
flag, climax
School and skycrapper roofs are really a clich in Japanese dramas. Just imagine
any building with a flag on the climax.
(n) room. (sumo,abbr) stable
(suf) (something) shop. somebody who sells (something) or works as (something). somebody with a (certain) personality trait; (n) house. roof.
(n) roof
: inn, to host
, ,
: really
, bonsai
The bottom part is bonsai, a bigger (or rather rounder) bush () here. Imagine
another in-house reality show where you watch a bonsai grow in real time...
(exp,adv) as a matter of fact; by the way; to tell you the truth; to be
honest; frankly
(adv) indeed; really; absolutely; truly; actually; very; quite.
(n) (obsc) pit (of a fruit); stone. core. tongue (piece of wood used to
connect two boards). clitoris.
: spring
bonsai,
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CHAPTER 3. FAMILY
Spring is when the sun comes back and bonsai start growing again (a little bit).
(n-adv,n-t) spring; springtime. New Year. prime (of ones life, etc.).
adolescence; puberty. sexuality
(n) spring day; spring sunlight.
(n) empty rice field (between the harvest and spring).
Kids
: child
Pictogram of a child (with a cap).
: character
: cry
When a child falls and hurts himself a little bit, he stands up and runs to his
parents crying... Kawaiii again.
(v5k) to cry; to weep; to sob; to howl
67
(n) weeping; lamenting
(v5k,vi) to sob.
: verify, inspect
, awl
: cheval
Just see it as a pictogram: 4 limbs, 1 tail and mane.
(ok,n) horse.
(n) horseback; riding.
: experiment
, awl
: steep, inaccessible
, awls
A bunch of idiotic creatures (orcs, humans, whatever) are attacking steep city walls
with awls... Were inaccessible to them.
(adj-i) precipitous; rugged; inaccessible; impregnable; steep.
grim; severe; stern
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CHAPTER 3. FAMILY
Elders
: parents
spicy tree,
New trendy parenting style: see by yourself. Dad, Mom, I want to eat this spicy
tree wasabi. OK, son, see by yourself.
(n,adj-no) mother
(n) parent; parents. dealer (in cards, mahjong, etc.). founder. (pet)
owner
(n) parents; both parents.
: old
: hardened
As he got older pent in prison, he hardened and became a reaallyy bad guy...
(adj-i) hard; solid; tough. stiff; tight; wooden; unpolished (e.g.
writing). strong; firm (not viscous or easily moved). safe; steady; honest;
steadfast. obstinate; stubborn. bookish; formal; stuffy
(v1,vt) to harden; to freeze; to strengthen; to solidify; to make
(a fist); to tramp down (snow, dirt). to put together; to collect; to gather; to
consolidate. to make secure; to stabilize; to settle down; to strengthen (belief,
resolution, etc.); to establish (evidence). to fortify; to reinforce; to support.
to wear for a specific purpose (armor, coat, etc.). to swear; to resolutely vow;
to sincerely promise. to tie tightly; to fasten. to hold a bow fully drawn
69
(v5r,vi) to harden; to solidify. to become firm; to become certain.
to gather (together); to assemble; to huddle together
: individual
: suffering
Women
: woman
Pictogram of a crossed-legs woman.
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CHAPTER 3. FAMILY
(n) girl
: good
The reverse of the root of evil: the root of goodness is a small artifact (a drop)
rooted in some mythical place (eg. Deku tree).
(adj-i) (uk) good; excellent; fine; nice; pleasant; agreeable. sufficient
(can be used to turn down an offer); ready; prepared. profitable (e.g. deal,
business offer, etc.); beneficial. OK
(adj-f) good; (n) B grade (in an A, B, C ... system)
(n) husband.
: daugther
Lets study those two confusingly similar kanji together. The former tree has not
yet reached the end of its growth since its top branch isnt the longest while the latter
has.
(n) eighth sign of Chinese zodiac (The Ram, 1pm-3pm, south-southwest,
June)
(adv) (uk) as yet; hitherto; only; still. (uk) not yet (with negative
verb). (uk) more; besides; (adj-na) (uk) unfinished; incomplete; not yet
finished with.
(adv) still; even now; until this very day.
(n,arch) top end; tip.
71
(n-adv,n-t) fate; ones future. end of (text) line; line terminator.
: come
Youre horny, but at this stage, you cant come yet or youll ruin everything...
(v5r,vi) to come; to arrive; to be due to; (adj-pn) next (e.g. next
April); forthcoming; coming
(v1,vi) (uk) to be able (in a position) to do; to be up to the task.
to be ready; to be completed. to be made; to be built. to be good at; to
be permitted (to do). to become intimate; to take up (with somebody). to
grow; to be raised. to become pregnant
(exp,vk) to come along; to come around; to turn up
: younger sister
: elder sister
: flavor
A foods flavor is what you feel before and while its in your mouth, when its not
yet swallowed.
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CHAPTER 3. FAMILY
: broom
: to hit, real
: rake
: wife
A wife is just a woman with no occupations but ironing, feeding babies, (...) and
gardening with a rake.
73
(n) wife and children. (arch) wife
: dispute
: precious
purse,
Top part is a purse pictogram. Basically, since women are so vain, it costs a lot of
shells and contains a lot of precious expensive things.
(n,adj-no) noble; aristocrat
(pn,adj-no) (uk,pol) you (referring to someone of equal or lower status).
dear (what a wife calls a husband)
(pn,adj-no,uk,pol) you (referring to someone of equal or lower status).
: remain
As long as The Preciousss remains, there are gonna be problems... So lets take
it all the way to Mordor!
(n) bereaved family
(v5s,vt) to leave (behind, over); to bequeath; to save; to reserve.
(v5r,vi) to remain; to be left.
: pedestal
Roman infomercial for a pedestal: feel how great it is to have your elbow higher
than your slaves mouths.
(n) tower. stand; pedestal. calyx.
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CHAPTER 3. FAMILY
(n,adj-no) kitchen.
(n) cart (esp. a food cart); stall; stand. festival float; portable shrine
dedicated to a god and shaped like a house; dancing platform. stage prop
fashioned after a large building. (abbr) framework (of a house, etc.). (arch)
house (esp. a small and miserable house)
: start
A male crush is when you put a woman on a pedestal before even starting talking
to her...
(v1,vt) to start; to begin; to commence; to initiate; to originate.
to open (e.g. a store); to start up; to establish (business. etc.); (suf,v1) to
start ...; to begin to ...
(v5r,vi) to begin; to start; to commence. to happen (again); to
begin (anew). to date (from); to originate (in)
(n,vs) management; dealing; settlement. cleaning up; getting rid of;
(n) end result (usu. bad)
: to like, to love
: cowboy (villain)
Simplified
: to need
The skilled cowboy (villain) needs a woman... He has his own ways!
75
(exp,adv) in a word; after all; the point is ...; in short ...; to
put simply; the long and short of it is that ....
(v5r,vi) to need; to want
(n) pivot. vital point; cornerstone; keystone. Japanese photinia; .
: cheap
Clothes
: crown
: saber
: coming back
, , ,
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CHAPTER 3. FAMILY
: samurai
Does look like soil, but its the pictoram of a samurai whose arms are outstretched.
Nooonee shalll passs!
(n) soldier
(n) warrior (esp. of military retainers of daimyos in the Edo period);
samurai.
: to work for
Segata Sanshiro hires a bunch of samurai, whod better serve him perfectly or else...
(n) way; method; means; resource; course
(v1,vi) to serve; to work for; to attend
(adv) helplessly; reluctantly; as a last resort.
: turtle
: robust
77
: clothes
, scarf
The only clothes alone in some club are a top hat and a scarf (nested pictogram)...
: equipment
: ring, circle
, , , , scarf
Just look at the number of luxurious elements here: jewels, golden eye, other golden
round things and a golden scarf. The only missing thing is a golden ring.
(n) ring; band. (math) ring.
(n,adj-no) link (e.g. a part of a larger plan)
(n) outer ring; outer loop.
: circumference
, lidded crock
Nested lidded crock primitive: some clay over a round shape. A graduated belt (a
flex rule) to measure lidded crock circumference.
(n,adj-no) surroundings; environs. circumference
(n,n-suf) circumference; perimeter; edge. surroundings; locality;
neighborhood
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CHAPTER 3. FAMILY
: week
: park
A scarf pent in the lidded crock, says the merchant in the park? Suspicious...
Mall
: to predict
To predict anything and for foolproof weather forecast, all you need a magic wand
and a round ball! Only $99.
(v1,vt) to occupy; to hold. to account for; to make up; to take up
(n) fortune-telling; divination
(v5u,vt) to tell someones fortune; to forecast; to predict; to divine; .
79
: a shop
Zelda-ALLTP image: a fortune teller shop in a cave... but dis iz serious legitimate
bizness!
: seat, location
, ,
: spot, dot
A TV pundit is boiled because people are mad at his bullshit dot analytics and
a financial crisis he couldnt predict.
(n) (uk) dot; point; mark. (uk) gidayuu musicians (in kabuki).
(n) site; point on a map; spot
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CHAPTER 3. FAMILY
Men
: father
Pictogram of a tie or of a read and a blue zoom saber.
(ok,n,hum) father.
(n) father
(n,hon) father; dad; papa; pa; pop; daddy; dada
: to trade, to cross
In some weird Central American/African culture, dads trade their top hats.
(v5s,vt) to exchange (messages, greetings, arguments, etc.). to
intersect; to cross; to interlace; (suf,v5s) ... with one another .. to each other
(n) diplomacy. selling (e.g. door-to-door); canvassing
(io,v5s,vt) to exchange (messages, greetings, arguments, etc.). to
intersect; to cross; to interlace; (suf,v5s) ... with one another .. to each other.
: school
Schoolyard is the place with trees where kids trade marbles and Yu-Gi-Oh/Pokemon
cards.
(n,abbr) senior high school; high school
: efficiency
, force
81
(v5k,vi) to be effective; to show effect. to do its work; to carry out its
function well. to be possible to use
(n) effect; virtue; efficacy; impression
(n) effect; result; worth; use; avail.
: men
Unlike women, guys have brains and muscles and they work in rice fields, among
others.
(n-pref,n-suf,n) male; man; (n) (arch) husband.
(n) boy; male child; baby boy
: elder brother
: still more
Gay boy or horny girl: the elder brother is wet, but s/he still wants more!
(n) recent state; present state; present condition; current status;
current circumstances
(n,adj-no) real condition; actual scene; real state; live; (n,vs)
(sl) reporting live; live coverage; live broadcasting
(n) prosperous conditions; healthy economy
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CHAPTER 3. FAMILY
: competition
Two teenage boys are standing up for some kind of ridiculous child activity or
e-sport competition.
(n,adj-no) competition; contest; (vs) to compete
(io,n) traditional horse-racing; originally two horses head-to-head
or ten at a time, esp. May 5th event at Kamigamo shrine.
(v5u,vi) to compete with. to emulate
: dollar sign
: younger brother
The younger brother has horns on his head and dollar signs in his eyes.
(n,hum) younger brother.
(n) siblings; brothers and sisters. brothers. siblings-in-law;
brothers-in-law; sisters-in-law. (fam,male) mate; friend
(n,adj-no) pupil; disciple; adherent; follower; apprentice; young person;
teachers student-helper.
: bamboo
Bamboo pictogram.
83
(n) bamboo thicket.
: ordinal number
A line of bamboos where ordinal numbers are carved with dollar signs (its in Asia,
so $s dont mean anything).
(n,pref) ordinal.
(adv,n) first; foremost; number one
: expense
: protect
, ,
: to support, to sustain
Can the middle of your crotch support 10 lbs suspended to it? 10 kg?
(v1,vt) to support; to prop; to sustain; to underlay; to hold up.
to hold at bay; to stem; to check
(n) branch office; branch store
(n) support; stay; prop.
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CHAPTER 3. FAMILY
: art, craft
Engineering is the craft of making sustainable objects with fingers and components.
(n) technique; art; skill.
(n,vs,adj-no) game; match; contest
(n) national sport (e.g. sumo)
: skin
cliff,
Extending the previous situation: this time, the scrotum skin is the only thing
that hangs the South-Park-esque character to the cliff...
(n) skin; hide; pelt; fur. rind; peel; husk; bark. shell; sheath; wrapping.
mask (hiding ones true nature); seeming
(n) scalp.
(n,adj-no) investment (in the sense of outer layer); outer skin or layer;
rind; hull; husk; crust.
: he (3rd-person pronouns)
(column),
One more blunt story: a he has a column in a pelt. To get she, just add the
kanji for woman
(ok,n) (uk) that (indicating something distant from both speaker and listener
(in space, time or psychologically), or something understood without naming
it directly). that person (used to refer to ones equals or inferiors). (arch)
over there; (int) (uk) hey (expression of surprise, suspicion, etc.); huh?; eh?;
(n) (uk) that (something mentioned before which is distant psychologically or
in terms of time).
(pn) she; her; (adj-no) her. girl friend; girlfriend; sweetheart; .
(n,adj-no) (uk) those (indicating something distant from both speaker
and listener, or something understood without naming it directly). (arch)
they (of people) (used to refer to ones equals or inferiors).
85
: wave
: damage
rock,
: bow
(n) bow (and arrow). unit of distance to an archery target (approx.
six feet). unit of distance for land surveying (approx. eight feet).
(n) bow and arrow.
(n) (Japanese) archery
: large, wide
Large bow and large elbow to reach a wide range of targets.
(v1,vt) to broaden; to propagate.
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: stick
: pull
: insect
Pictogram of whatever insect you like. Personally, I see a dragonfly with one eye
and a tail.
: strong
A insect (or mini toy drone) that can fly over vast distances is strong.
(adj-i) tough; stiff; hard. inflexible; obstinate; stubborn.
87
(adj-na,n) overbearing; coercive; pushy; forcible; high-handed
(v1,vt) to force; to compel; to coerce
A single guy? Hes gotta be an freakish otaku chasing bugs with a pack of wild
dogs!
: wind (primitive)
: wind (actual kanji)
, insect,
: deal with
To deal with things that annoy you, you can kick them with your legs or let the
wind take them away.
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(ok,pn,adj-no) (uk) where; what place. how much (long, far); what
extent.
(n,suf) place; spot; scene; site. address. district; area; locality. ones
house. point. part. space; room. (uk) whereupon; as a result. (after
present form of a verb) about to; on the verge of. (after past form of a verb)
was just doing; was in the process of doing; have just done; just finished doing.
(n,vs) disposal; dealing (with a problem); disposition; measure;
procedure. punishment. putting down (e.g. diseased animal)
: public
Japan is a crowed place so public places like streets and trains mean elbows enter
in each others.
(adj-no,n) public; open; formal; official; governmental
(n) (public) park
(n) protagonist; main character; hero(ine) (of a story).
head of household
: pine tree
Pine tree is so ber-common in Japanese public parcs its called the public tree.
(n) pine tree (Pinus spp.). highest (of a three-tier ranking system); .
(n) (pine) torch; flambeau; torchlight.
(n) pine grove
Alcohol
: bottle of whisky
89
: sake
: drunk
, ,
: snake
: distribute
Whisky is evil! Youve gotta be the snake-tempter to distribute it! Support the
Prohibition.
(n,vs) rule; control; direction
(v5r,vt) to distribute; to deliver; to deal (cards)
(n,vs) arrangement (of resources); deployment; stationing; posting;
disposition
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By Ones Side
: friend
by ones side,
New nested pictogram: by ones side. A friend with benefit, by your side to take
your crotches.
(n) friend
(n) friend; companion.
(n) friend; companion; comrade; pal
: craft, engineering
A pictogram of some object in your own craft.
, : left, right
by ones side, ,
Popular science says the left side of the brain is for engineering and the right side
for being creative (with your mouth, among others).
(n,adj-no) left (esp. in vertical Japanese writing); the following.
(n) left.
(n,vs) turning to the left; left turn.
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(n) right; right hand side. afore-mentioned (esp. in vertical Japanese
writing); foregoing; forgoing; above
(ok,n,vs) left and right. influence; control; domination.
(n) right eye.
: young
Young little kid with a flower for Mom or Dad in the right hand.
(adj-i) young
(ok,n-adv) like; similar to; same as.
(n,adj-no) some; few; a number of; a little (bit); (n-adv) somewhat; to a certain extent
: to own
by ones side,
: genie/genius
Ten out of ten! On the top, as in , this component takes a different form.
: property, asset
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Bill Gates/Larry Ellison is a money, humm, I mean technology genius who owns a
ton of assets!
(n,n-suf) fortune; riches. goods; (n) (abbr) incorporated foundation; .
(n) source of funds; resources; finances
: to exist
: to be there
Just like astrology, UFOs and 9/11consipracy theories, genies do exist! Theyre
located too underground to prove that theyre here! But they are!
(n,vs,adj-no) existence; being
(v5r-i,vi) (uk) to be (usu. of inanimate objects); to exist; to live. to
have. to be located. to be equipped with. to happen; to come about; .
(n,vs) reality; existence
Birdhouse
: vulture
: love
birdhouse, ,
The Birdhouse: Listen to your heart (your dick, really): walk there and find love
for only $xxx.
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(v5s,vs-c,vt) to love
(n,n-suf) love; affection; care; (n) (Buddh) attachment; craving; desire
(ateji,adj-i) cute; adorable; charming; lovely; pretty. dear;
precious; darling; pet. cute little; tiny
: accept, receive
Crotches in a birdhouse? Both literally and figuratively, you gotta accept receiving
that!
(v1,vt) to receive; to get. to catch (e.g. a ball). to be struck by
(wind, waves, sunlight, etc.). to sustain (damage); to incur (a loss); to suffer
(an injury); to feel (influence). to undergo (e.g. surgery); to take (a test); to
accept (a challenge). to be given (e.g. life, talent). to follow; to succeed;
to be descended from. to face (south, etc.). (ling) to be modified by. to
obtain (a pawned item, etc.) by paying a fee; (v1,vi) to be well-received; to
become popular; to go down well
(v1,vt) to accept; to receive; to agree
(v1,vt) to be responsible for. to take over; to take up.
to guarantee; to undertake. to contract (a disease)
: award, grant
, ,
A completely shameless pervert that doesnt hesitate putting his fingers on standing
womens breasts.
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: to adopt, to pick
, ,
On your gardens cherry tree, both your finger and a vulture are competing to pick
the fruit on the tree.
(v5r,vt) to adopt (measure, proposal). to pick (e.g. fruit); to catch
(e.g. insects); to take (e.g. a sample). to assume (attitude). to take on (i.e.
hire); to engage
(n,vs) marking; grading; scoring
(v1) to be collected; to be gathered (e.g. mushrooms, etc.); to be
harvested; to be mined. to be able to collect; to be able to mine.
: support
, ,
(Dis)Support the couple of friend vultures (one less stroke, but doesnt matter) in
the birdhouse by moving it with your finger while theyre not in it.
(n,vs) support; backing; aid; assistance
(n,vs) assistance; support.
(n) reinforcements; relief.
: vegetables
, ,
Contrary to fruits, most vegetables do not have flowers that attract vultures and
do not grow on tall trees.
(n) side dish.
95
greens; vegetables
: float
, ,
: milk
, ,
The baby bird (vulture child) is hooked at his mother to get milk #kawaii.
(n) milk. breast. loop. decorative bump (on a hanging bell).
(n) wet nurse; nursing mother.
Each
: each
New NSA identification technique: Each person talks and walks differently so lets
spread mics and leg-heigth CCTV.
(n-t) each; every; either; respectively; severally.
(n,adj-no) every place; various places
(n-adv,n-t) individual; each
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: fall
, ,
Every single petal of the flower will eventually fall into the water.
(v1,vi) to fall down; to drop; to fall (e.g. rain); to sink (e.g. sun
or moon); to fall onto (e.g. light or ones gaze); to be used in a certain place
(e.g. money). to be omitted; to be missing. to decrease; to sink. to fail
(e.g. exam or class); to lose (contest, election, etc.). to crash; to degenerate;
to degrade; to fall behind. to become indecent (of a conversation). to be
ruined; to go under. to fade; to come out (e.g. a stain); to come off (e.g.
makeup); to be removed (e.g. illness, possessing spirit, name on a list). to fall
(into someones hands); to become someones possession. to fall (into a trap);
to fall (for a trick). to give in; to give up; to confess; to flee. to fall; to be
defeated; to surrender. to come to (in the end); to end in. to fall (in love,
asleep, etc.). to swoon (judo). to consent; to understand. (comp) to crash;
to freeze. to die. to move to the depths
(v5s,vt) to drop; to lose; to let fall; to shed (light); to cast (ones
gaze); to pour in (liquid); to leave behind. to clean off (dirt, makeup, paint,
etc.); to remove (e.g. stains or facial hair); to lose; to spend money at a certain
place; to omit; to leave out; to secretly let escape. to lose (a match); to reject
(an applicant); to fail (a course); to defeat (in an election)... I dont like to
trim but this is reallly long and repetitive.
: status
: guest
97
Mari people welcome guests by touching their forehead. In the Maori B&B, the
guest has to pay some amount of money.
(n,n-suf) picture (framed). amount or sum (of money)
(adj-na,n,adj-no) large amount of money
(adj-na,n,adj-no) large sum (money)
: matter
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Chapter 4
Academics
Various kanji you could see while exploring a university.
School House
school house,
Nested pictogram: a school house is a more complex house. And of course it has
children in it.
(n) school
(n) post-secondary education institution, incl. university, college,
etc.. (abbr) former central university of Kyoto (established under the ritsuryo
system for the training of government administrators). the Great Learning one of the Four Books
(n) primary school; elementary school; grade school
: backbone
: spine
school house,
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At school, you dont hurt your backbone and if you stay there long enough, youll
never have to.
(v5m,vt) to carry on (e.g. in ceremony); to run a business
(n) imperial headquarters.
(n) activity; action; performance; execution; occupation; business;
work; sexual intercourse; sex
: manual labor
school house,
Labor is doing with your muscles what youre meant to do with your brain in the
schoolhouse.
(adj-na,n,vs) troubles; hardships
(adj-na,int,n,hon) trouble (I have put you through).
(n) labor; labour; toil; trouble; pains; work; effort; striving
: memorize
school house,
In our stupid K-12 system, you have to rote-learn all thats on the blackboard.
Fortunately, youve escaped this system since you bought this book instead of rotelearning kanji!
(v1,vt) to memorize; to memorise; to commit to memory; to learn
by heart; to bear in mind; to remember. to learn; to pick up; to acquire. to
feel. to think; to regard
(n,vs) self-consciousness; self-awareness
(v1,vi) to wake; to wake up. to become sober; to sober up; to
regain consciousness (e.g. after anaesthesia). to come to ones senses; to be
disillusioned; .
: party, gathering
outhouse,
Top part is nested pictogram for outhouse. Assuming that all politicians are liars
full of shit, a political party is a big toilet with legs shitting on people...
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(ok,n) gathering; place where people gather. (arch) police station;
camp; barracks.
(n) vassals; retainers; followers.
: prize
outhouse,
And the Most Profitable (= money) Outhouse Award is given to... This shellfish
restaurants paid toilets!
(n,n-suf) prize; award
(n,vs) winning (a prize)
: usual
outhouse,
Usually in an outhouse, you find paper towels to wipe your ass and dry your
hands.
(adv) always; constantly
(adj-no,n-adv,n-t) ordinary; regular; everyday; usual
(adj-no,n) (uk) ordinary; common; usual. unaffected; as is; safe; (adv)
only; merely; just; simply. but; however; nevertheless.
To learn
: feathers
(n) feather; plume; wing. blade (fan, propeller, etc.)
: to be taught, to study
American college students are helpless little white birds who pay steep tuitions
with feathers (what else do they have?) and lose even more feathers learning to fly
the academic way instead of the organic way.
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: know
To think
: heart
Pictogram of a heart.
: to think
Thinking is the exchange of information between the brain and the heart, think
left and right brain or Thinking Fast and Slow.
(v5u,vt) to think; to consider; to believe. to think (of doing); to plan
103
(to do). to judge; to assess; to regard. to imagine; to suppose; to dream. to
expect; to look forward to. to feel; to desire; to want. to recall; to remember
(v5s,vt) to recall; to remember
(v1) to seem; to appear likely.
: small village
A small village thats just a little bit of soil and a few rice fields. Since its the
pictogram of a stand and a checkered screen, well use (old) computer as a component
meaning.
(n) village; hamlet. countryside; country. home (of ones parents, etc.);
hometown. ones origins; ones upbringing; ones past.
: logic
: heavy
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: black
After getting a little bit of water, the old computer literally boiled and is now a
all black.
(adj-i) black. dark. illicit; wicked; underground
(n) black. black go stone. guilt; guilty person
(oK,n,adj-no) expert; professional; master. woman in the nightlife
business; demimondaine; geisha and prostitutes.
Various departments
: (k)not
Pictogram of a weird multi-knot, will be used as a component for NOT.
: cow
Pictogram of a cow seen from below.
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: before
Have you ever seen a cow with human legs before? Well, heres a new Pokemon!
(n,adj-no,n-suf,pref) previous; prior; former; some time ago; preceding.
point (e.g. pencil); tip; end; nozzle. head (of a line); front. ahead; the other
side. the future; hereafter. destination. the other party
(n) head; lead; vanguard; first
(n-adv,n-t) the other day; a few days ago
: thing
: easy
: place, spot
, ,
The right part is a piggy bank: a pig in which you put sun-shapped coins every
day. You hide it at an exact spot in the soil, written down on a (Google) treasure
map.
(n) place; location; spot; position. room; space. (sumo) basho;
wrestling tournament
(n-suf,n) place; spot; grounds; arena; stadium; range; course.
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(n) there; that situation; that occasion. the spot (i.e. on the
spot); immediately; then and there.
: light
Light is a little bit of energy from a source with legs to go really fast!
(n) light
(v5r,vi) to shine; to glitter; to be bright
(n) moonlight; moonbeam
: acorn
: kernel, nuclear
: history
Pictogram of a student sleeping in history class.
107
(adj-no,n-adv,n-t) historical
: box
: medicine
: transform
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(n) fireworks
: compare
Hummmm Hummm... Regardless of the kanji shape, I picture two girls in a kitchen
store nitpicking about two spoons and comparing all their features.
(v1,vt) to compare; to make a comparison. to compete; to vie; .
(n) time; period; days.
(v1,vt) to compare with the eye
: everyone, everything
: criticism
If you keep comparing your date to your exes or directly critic him/her, youre
gonna get middle fingers.
(n) correction marks.
(n) your valued criticism.
: ability
, , ,
A bunch of elbow-shaped aliens have the ability to go to the moon with just a
couple of spoon-shaped shuttles.
(adj-na,n) potential; possible; practicable; feasible
(n) talent; ability
109
(n,adj-no) instinct
: analyse
To analyse the tree, like counting the number of circles on so on, first cut in with
an axe.
(n,vs) analysis
(n) self-analysis; autoanalysis.
: two hands
: polish
: mold, model
Japanese worker perfecting soil/clay to make a perfect mold for the perfect product
model.
(n) model; type (e.g. of machine, goods, etc.). type; style; pattern.
mold (mould); template; model. kata (standard form of a movement, posture,
etc. in martial arts, sport, etc.). form (i.e. customary procedure). size (i.e.
clothing, shoes). (obsc) (taxonomical) form
(adj-na,n,adj-no) small size; tiny
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: hole
(n,n-suf) hole. deficit; shortage; missing person (in a team, meeting, etc.).
vacancy; opening. flaw. profitable place (or item, etc.) not well known by
others. upset victory (with a large payoff). (sl) pit (of a theater). (arch)
hiding place. (arch) underbelly (of society, etc.)
(n) large hole. great deficit; heavy losses. big and unexpected
winnings; a killing (e.g. on a race). dark horse (horse racing).
(n) pitfall; trap; pit
: sky, hole
: research
Research scientists are people who had an empty 9-year-long academic curriculum
for a PhD and earn as much as a janitor.
(n,vs) study; research; investigation
(n) research establishment; research institute; laboratory
(n,vs) investigation (esp. in academic and scientific contexts)
111
: stab
Stab the big annoying dog and you leave a big hole.
(v5k,vt) to prick; to stab. to poke; to prod; to push; to thrust; to
nudge; to hit; to strike. to use (a cane); to prop oneself up with; to press
against (the floor, etc.). to attack. to brave (the rain, etc.)
(v5s,vt) to push out; to project; to stick out. to hand over
(e.g. to the police).
(n,vs) rushing; breaking into
: tree
There is one less stroke for stab but you can ignore it. Cruel action-movie murder
scene: stab the opponent near the ocean and throw his corpse into deep water.
(adj-i) deep. profound. dense; thick. close (relationship).
intense; strong. late
(adj-t,adv-to) silent (esp. of the passing of the night). piercing
(cold).
(v1,vt) to deepen; to heighten; to intensify
: wheat
: measuring cup
(n) (obs) to (measure of volume, approx. 18 litres). square bearing block
(at the top of a pillar). (astron) Chinese Dipper constellation (one of the
28 mansions)
: department, section
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(n) science
(n,n-suf) department; section; faculty; school; arm. course (of study);
branch of study; specialization. (taxonomical) family
(n,adj-no) surgery. department of surgery (hospital, etc.)
: rice, USA
Pictogram of a small planation with two grains.
: fee, price
In feudal times, Japanese people used to pay Samurais with rice in measuring
cups... Why not reintroduce the system to pay bills?
(n,vs) cooking; cookery; cuisine. dealing with something; handling;
administration; management
(n,arch) ornament; adornment; decoration.
(n) restaurant
: to refuse, to dismiss
, ,
Just refuse everything, reject society, cut the fishhook containing rice with your
axe like a piata.
(v5r,vt) to refuse; to reject; to dismiss; to turn down; to decline.
to inform; to give notice; to tell in advance. to ask leave; to excuse oneself
(from)
(v5r,vt) to refuse; to reject; to dismiss; to turn down; to decline.
to inform; to give notice; to tell in advance. to ask leave; to excuse oneself
(from).
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(n,vs) interruption; suspension; break
: sort of
, ,
Classifying rice grains in function of how big their head is. That would be simpler
than what all those botanists do!
(io,n) kind; sort; type. equal; match; peer.
(n) mankind; humanity
(n,adj-no) relation; kin
: speciality
, ,
A PhD to school kids: Being specialized is like having ten brains glued together
thinking about the same thing.. No wonder the US have a STEM shortage...
(adv,adj-no) (uk) wholly; solely; entirely; exclusively; devotedly;
fixedly. (uk) principally; mostly; chiefly; mainly
(n,n-pref) (abbr,sl) having a fetish for ...; specializing in ...; majoring in ...;
(n) (arch) first; foremost; number one priority. (arch) doing as one pleases;
acting selfishly. (arch) fired brick.
(n,vs) undivided attention; concentration.
Levels
: ladle
(n) 18 ml (one-tenth of a go). 0.033 meters square (one-hundredth of
a tsubo). dip; ladle.
(n) one shaku.
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: target, typical
: level
, ,
Instead of a rake, a weird gardener uses a ladle to level the snow-covered or muddy
soil.
(adj-na,n,adj-no) uniformity; equality.
(adj-na,n,adj-no) homogeneous; homogeneity
(v5s,vt) to make even; to make smooth; to make level. to average.
To teach
: somebody
: old man
, big stroke,
An old man fell on the soil because of a stroke and now has to be spoon fed in an
expensive retirement home.
115
(n,adj-no) the aged; old person
(n) old age; age; old people; the old; the aged.
(n) chief retainer; daimyos minister.
: profession suffix
: metropolis
In a big city, youre just a x- working inside city walls and often moving to the
suburbs at night.
(n) Kyoto
(n,adj-no) metropolitan; municipal.
(n,adj-no) town; city; municipal; urban
: signature
Biometric signature for entreprise level safety, only $1,000,000 for a 5,000-employee
megacorp!
(n,abbr) station (esp. a police station); office (i.e. tax office).
(n,vs) signature
(n,vs) ones post; ones station; department; bureau; section
: to bestow
Mowgli/Link is bestowed one slingshot (nested pictogram).
slingshot,
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, slingshot
For economical reason, we might consider sending retired old men to war armed
with only slingshots.
(v1,vt) to think about; to take into consideration. to ponder;
to reflect; to try to come at a conclusion; to think over (something). to intend;
to decide (to do); to plan. to come up with; to devise; to scheme. to predict;
to anticipate; to expect. to suspect; to doubt. to consider (somebody to be
something); to look on
(n) thinking; thought; ideas; intention
(n,vs,adj-no) thought; consideration; thinking
: filial piety
From the old man to the child.
(ok,n) filial piety.
(n) filial child.
: taskmaster
: teach
The teacher is a taskmaster that teaches with a little bit of filial piety to children.
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: number
, ,
The Samurai IRS taskmaster is controlling women counting the rice grains...
(n) number; amount
(v1,vt) to count; to enumerate
(n,math) numeral; figure; digit; numeric character
To say
Primitive is used in a LOT of kanji.
: say
Pictogram of soundwaves getting out of a mouth.
: various
Several professionals from various professions (pick whichever you want) say very
various things in various jargons: thats diversity.
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: plan, calculating
City (or war) council: official are analysing some plan with words and needles on
a map (and to count too, computers are forbidden).
(v5r,vt) to measure; to weigh; to survey; to time (sound, gauge,
estimate). to conjecture; to infer; to surmise
(n,n-suf) plan. meter; measuring device; (pref) (in) total; total (of)
(v5u,vt) to choose at ones own discretion. to choose when
to do something; to estimate (the time for something).
: to write down
A tongue in your mouth allows you to say a thousand phony words to the opposite
sex and kiss a thousand tongues and mouths (with some accidental redundancy!).
(n) tongue. tongue-like object; clapper (of a bell); talon (of a lock); .
: lively
Give a lively speech or have a lively kiss, either way your tongue is wet.
(n) club activities.
(n) printing type; movable type. printed text; print
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(n) living; life. judo art of resuscitation; (suf) (abbr) action; activity.
: resign
: speak
: language
, ,
Five different mouths (my 4 D&D buddies and I) say things in my made-up language? We have to make a dictionary!
(v5r,vt) to talk about; to speak of; to tell; to narrate. to recite; to
chant. to indicate; to show
(n,vs,adj-no) tale; story; legend
(io,n) talk; recital. narration. topic.
: inflammation
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: conversation
: fruit, result
: lesson
121
(v5s,vt) to levy; to charge; to assess; to impose; to assign.
: even
Controversial pictogram: an even water-lilly, a pair of scissors, an even-function
plot, whatever you like.
(n) something broad and flat; palm of the hand. common; ordinary.
(abbr) low-ranking employee; freshman; novice; private.
(n) plain; moor; prairie.
(n,vs) average; mean. balance; equilibrium
: to call, to invite
: evaluation, comment
Fair and balanced (even) words are evaluation or comments.
(n,vs,adj-no) criticism; review; commentary
(v5s,vt) to evaluate; to appraise; to comment on.
(n) critic.
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: sell
, ,
The Samurai shop: as if the Samurai werent already taking enough money from
peasants, hes selling crowns and legs of his enemies (which includes people who dont
pay taxes).
(v5r,vt) to sell
(v1,vi) to sell (well). to be well known; to be popular; to be famous
(n) shop; stand
: read
Nowadays, every word you read is marketing: even novels try to sell their sequels...
(v5m,vt) to read. to count
(n) reader
: again
The fat French king Louis VI, nicknamed The Fat, needs a new belt, again!
(adv) again; once more; a second time
(pref) re-; again; repeated; deutero-; deuto-; deuter (adv,n) again and again; repeatedly
: lecture
, funnel
Nested funnel component: I just rote-learn the top part by writing it again and
again (). A lecture is just a funneling of words (with a funnel-shaped megaphone)
into the students notebooks then into their heads.
123
(n) story-telling
(n,n-suf) (Buddhist) lecture meeting. religious association. mutual
assistance association (i.e. for financial assistance).
, funnel
: to visit
: to attack, to avenge
You can safely attack a coworker with words and glue on his seat and he can safely
avenge.
(v5t) to shoot (at). to attack; to defeat; to destroy; to avenge; .
(n,vs) consideration; examination; investigation; study; scrutiny;
discussion; analysis
(n) killing a would-be avenger. having the tables turned on
someone (e.g. by a challenger); being beaten at ones own game.
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: faith, confidence
Have faith in Segata Sanshiros words, spend all your life playing Sega games!
(v1,vt) to believe; to believe in; to place trust in; to confide in; to
have faith in
(n,vs) self-confidence; confidence (in oneself)
(adv,n) honesty; fidelity. trust; reliance. (religious) faith; (ctr) counter
for received messages
To write
: write
brush,
Nested primitive for brush. Youre sure gonna write it a few times to remember
it, but if you hadnt bought this book, youd be writing kanji all day long like some
kind of Parisian writer just to remember them!
: stretch
: brush
As any engineer or architect can tell, building is all about stretching a sketch into
reality.
125
(n) building
(v1,vt) to build; to construct
: healthy
A healthy person like Segate Sanshiro is one who builds things both intellectually
and physically.
(adj-na,n) in good health; well; going strong
(adj-na,n) vigorous; healthy; sound
: reach, extend
I like this gymnastics pictogram.
: letter, sentence
Pictogram of handwriting.
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: vis-a-vis
Maths
The intersection of kanji that are used in maths and kanji that are important in real life
:).
: angle
, , ,
: to untie, to solve
, ,
Lets solve our tribes hunger problem by cutting the cow with a dagger at the
right angles.
(n,vs) understanding; comprehension; appreciation; sympathy
(v5k,vt) to untie; to unfasten; to unwrap; to undo; to unbind; to unpack. to unsew; to unstitch. to solve; to work out; to answer. to dispel
(misunderstanding, etc.); to clear up; to remove (suspicion); to appease. to
dissolve (a contract); to cancel; to remove (a prohibition); to lift (a ban); to
raise (a siege). to release (from duty); to relieve; to dismiss. to comb (out);
127
to card; to untangle (hair)
(v5r,vi) to understand; to comprehend; to grasp; to see; to get; to
follow. to become clear; to be known; to be discovered; to be realized; to be
realised; to be found out
: stop
floor,
You didnt respect one of those floor signs, so a police officer is stopping you
with his magic wand.
(v1,vt) to stop; to stay (e.g. the night); to cease; to put an end
to. to contain; to keep (in position, in place); to limit. to record (e.g. a
fact); to retain.
(v5r,vi) to remain; to abide; to stay (in the one place). to be
limited to; to be confined to
(v5r) to stop; to halt; to stand still
: curriculum
, ,
(Mowgli/Tarzan/Some Crazy Otaku) at a job interview: I spent my whole academic curriculum stopping animals in a grove at the base of a cliff... ...Good luck
with your job search!
(n,adj-no) history
(adj-na) historic; historical; traditional
(v2h-k,vi) (arch) to pass; to elapse; to go by. (arch) to pass through; to go
through. (arch) to experience; to go through.
: right
Japanese way of life: if you do something right the first time, you only have to do
it once; if you screw it up, you have to start over until you get it right. Really true
about kanji too, hope youre happy with this book!
(adj-i) right; just; correct; righteous; honest; truthful; proper;
straightforward; perfect
(adj-na,n) honesty; integrity; frankness; (adv) honestly; frankly;
.
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(n,n-pref) greater (of equal court ranks); upper; senior. director (highest
of the four administrative positions of the ritsuryo period); chief; (pref) (before
a number) exactly; precisely.
: evidence
Evidence is words that are absolutely right. In Japan, you can never go back on
an admission and of course perjury is scolded.
(n,vs,adj-no) proof; verification
(n,vs) evidence; testimony
(n,vs) guarantee; security; assurance; pledge; warranty
: zoo
A Zoo logo.
: doubt
, , ,
At the suspicious oo, they give you a spoon, darts and make you sign a liability
waver if anything happens to your elbows... Youre reaallyy doubting.
: arrow
: equation
Engineers are calculating an arrows ballistic equations.
129
: to try
Try a blank exam with a verbal part and a maths (equations) part.
(v1,vt) to try; to attempt; to have a go (at something)
(n,vs) examination; test; study; trial; experiment
(v5s,vt) to attempt; to test; to try out
: grain of rice
: request
A highway robber requests that you give him your grains of rice and other products,
threatening you with a bow and arrows.
: sphere
The Queen asks to see your family jewels... You have legal obligation to show your
balls, as in South Park.
(n,adj-no) the earth; the globe
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: always
: negation prefix
, ,
I just remember it as a pictogram where every stroke negates the previous one.
(adj-na,n) anxiety; uneasiness; insecurity; suspense
(adj-na,n) unhappiness; sorrow; misfortune; disaster; accident; death; .
(adj-na,n) impossible
: no, reject
The previous kanji was just a prefix, this is NO or rejection, that is, a negation
out of your mouth.
(int) (uk) no; nay. (uk) well; er; why
(n) safety; welfare; well-being
(exp) as soon as; no sooner than; one way or another; (n) objection.
: moreover, nature
flesh, ,
Nested primitive for flesh, looking like evening. Well, for Chinese, boiling the flesh
of a small dog is just nature, evolution.
131
: nothing
corpse bundle,
Just picture a bundle of dead soldiers and skulls being incinerated... To be or not
to be?
(adj-na,n,vs) unreasonable; impossible; overdoing
(adj-i) (uk) nonexistent; not being (there). unpossessed; unowned; not
had. unique. indicates negation, inexperience, unnecessariness or impossibility; (aux-adj) not .... to not be...; to have not ...
(n) silence
: half
Symetric pictogram.
(n-adv,n) half
(n,n-pref) half; semi-; (n,n-suf) half-past; (n) odd number. (arch) unit
of land area (595.8 m2)
(n-adv,n,n-suf) middle; half; semi; halfway; partly
: judgement
Think about Salomons judgement: two women claim a baby, for fairness sake, it
should be cut in half with a saber.
(v5r,vi) to understand; to comprehend; to grasp; to see; to get; to
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follow. to become clear; to be known; to be discovered; to be realized; to be
realised; to be found out
: animal tracks
: ordinal numbers, lookout
Japanese counters are awful, but for reading, you dont need to know when
and are used. To know how painful they are, just count animal tracks in a rice
field... , ...
(n-adv) best; first; number one. game; round; bout; fall; event (in
a meet)
(n) (uk) (one) pair (e.g. of birds); brace; couple. joint; hinge.
(n) (head) clerk.
: understanding, hearing
Chapter 5
Business
Business
: line up
Pictogram of a Roman temple with II columns and two horns on the capital (top).
: business
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, ,
The circumstances: one opposite sex person you hate just took one rake in his/her
face and needs mouth to mouth before an ambulance comes... How problematic... or
not, depending what you imagine!
(n) thing; matter. incident; occurrence; event; something serious; trouble;
crisis. circumstances; situation; state of affairs. work; business; affair. after
an inflectable word, creates a noun phrase indicating something the speaker
does not feel close to; (n-suf) nominalizing suffix. pretending to ...; playing
make-believe ...; (n,n-suf) (uk) alias; aka; nickname; alternative name; also
known as
(n,vs,adj-no) work; job; business; occupation; employment; vocation;
task. (physics) work
(n-adv,n) fact; truth; reality
: case, affair
Meeting
: meeting (primitive)
Under one umbrella
: to meet
, wall
135
A meeting between 4 walls. If the four wall met, humm... that would solve our
productivity problem!
: to match, to combine
Dating site: matching people for a meeting, guaranteed youll have a French kiss.
Only $29/month.
(n-adv,n) case; situation
(v5u,vi) to come together; to merge; to unite; to meet. to fit; to match;
to suit; to agree with; to be correct. to be profitable; to be equitable; (suf,v5u)
(after the -masu stem of a verb) to do ... to each other; to do ... together
(v1,vt) to match (rhythm, speed, etc.). to join together; to
unite; to combine; to add up. to face; to be opposite (someone). to compare;
to check with. to cause to meet (e.g. an unpleasant fate). to place together;
to connect; to overlap. to mix; to combine. to put blade to blade; to fight; .
: reply, answer
At architecture school: blahblahblah... match and the bamboo here and everything
holds, thats the right answer.
(v1,vi) to answer; to reply
(n) response; reply; answer; solution
(n,vs) reply
: now
Looks like a cowboy with a cool hat and stretched arms: hes shooting NOW! Hes
won the duel.
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(n-adv,n) now; the present time; just now; soon; immediately; (one) more; .
(n-t) today; this day
(adv) until now; so far; up to the present
Note: As a component, well use meaning clock as a meaning.
: include
Cuckoo! Cuckoo! The cuckoo clock contains a mouth that says what time it is
now.
(v5m,vt) to contain; to comprise; to have; to hold; to include; to
embrace. to hold in the mouth. to bear in mind; to understand; to harbor
(grudge, etc.); to harbour. to express (emotion, etc.); to imply.
(v1,vt) to include (in a group or scope). to instruct; to make
one understand. to include (a nuance); to put in (an implication). to put in
(someones) mouth. to permeate with flavor
(n) implication; hidden meaning; latitude; atmosphere; tone; sentiment;
inclusion
: to scheme
To design a business plan, you need to stop every floating idea and gather them
under an umbrella during a brainstorming session first.
(n) enterprise; undertaking; corporation; business
(v5m,vt,uk) to scheme; to plan; to play a trick; to invent; to conspire;
to frame up
(v1,vt) to plan; to plot; to propose; to design; to intend; to
contemplate. to attempt (e.g. suicide, murder); to undertake (e.g. business).
(arch) to stand on tip-toes
: debate, discussion
, meeting, scrapbook
137
: stamp
: order
meeting, chop-seal
The chop-seal nested pictogram is a longer stamp. In a Japanese company, whenever you want to change anything, you need to meet at least 3 people and have their
chop-seal approval (order) on an official form called a rishingo.
: jurisdiction
A jurisdiction is the scope in which one head (Samurai, President, NSA...) can
give orders. When theres a conflict, the weaker heads are cut.
(n) neck; collar; lapel; neckband.
(n) feudal lord.
(n,vs,adj-no) occupation; capture; possession; have a room to oneself; .
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: ice
Water minus one drop.
: cold, cool
: life, to appoint
Gold
: whole
139
The king wants to get the Whole Earth under his umbrella (his kingdom). Hes so
totalitarian!
(n-adv,n-t,adj-no) all; entire; whole; altogether
(adv) really; truly; entirely; completely; wholly; perfectly. indeed;
(int) (abbr) good grief (expression of exasperation)
(n,adj-no) whole (body); full-length (e.g. portrait); (adj-f) systemic; .
: gold, money
, ,
: to eat
Since many tourist throw umbrellas on the streets in London, we made eatable
good-looking ones to save the environment! Hard Gay could be saying this...
(v1,vt) to eat. to live on (e.g. a salary); to live off; to subsist on
(v5u,vt) (male,vulg) to eat. to live; to make a living; to survive. to
bite; to sting (as insects do). to tease; to torment; to taunt; to make light of;
to make fun of. to encroach on; to eat into; to consume. to defeat a superior;
to threaten a position. to consume time and-or resources. (col) to receive
something (usu. an unfavourable event). (male,vulg) to have sexual relations
with a woman, esp. for the first time
(n) meal; (vs) to eat
: silver, metal
Money is rooted and forged in metals such as as silver.
(oK,n) money. metal.
(n,adj-no) bank
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: needle, wire
The real needle kanji. Made of gold, its worth ten fake needles and extensible into
thin a long wire.
(n) needle; pin. hook. stinger; thorn. hand (e.g. clock, etc.); pointer.
staple (for a stapler). needlework; sewing. malice; (ctr,n-suf) counter for
stitches
(n) objective; plan; policy
(n,adj-no) wire
: mirror
, stand, see
Mirror is metal in front of which you can stand and see yourself.
(n) mirror; looking-glass. barrel head
(n) reflective water surface; reflecting water.
: boundary
If you put mirrors at the boundary of your land, it will seem much bigger!
(n,adj-no) environment; circumstance
(n) border; boundary. area; region; spot; space; environment. psychological state; mental state. (Buddh) cognitive object; something perceptible
by the sense organs or mind.
: record
, , grain of rice
A banker records money and grain of rice (another currency) transactions, writing
with a broom...
(n) record; minutes; document. a record (e.g. in sports); results;
score; (vs) to record; to document. to set a record (e.g. in sports); to show
a result; to reach a value
141
(n,suf) record; transcript.
(n) catalogue; catalog; inventory; index; list. certificate indicating
an impending gift
Arrows, Sheep
: warrior
, ,
In 300, Warriors are stopped by ONE arrow. In D&D, archer elves rule!
(n) warrior; samurai
(n) (arch) the art of war; martial arts; military arts. military force; the
sword. valor; bravery. military officer; military man.
(n,vs) arms; armament; armed
: land, area
: march
(n) 5th in rank; fifth sign of the Chinese calendar.
(n) twenty-fifth of the sexagenary cycle.
: turn into
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In a dictatorship or during a civil war, controversial marches can turn into dagger
fights or much worse.
(n) coming into existence; arrangements; establishment; conclusion;
completion; (vs) to come into existence; to be true; to hold (i.e. hold true); .
(n,vs,adj-no) organization; organisation; configuration; composition;
.
(v5r,vi) (uk) to become; to get; to grow; to be; to reach; to attain. to
result in; to prove to be. to consist of; to be composed of. to succeed; to
be complete. to change into; to be exchanged for. to play a role. to be
promoted (shogi); (v5r) (hon) to do ...
: demonstration, protest
A union party whith people holding signs.
: decrease
, ,
Middle age revolt: a bunch of starving mouth protesting? Throw them some boiled
water and their number will decrease!
(v5r,vi) to decrease (in size or number); to diminish; to abate
(n,adj-na) addition and subtraction. allowance for. degree; extent;
measure. condition; state of health. seasoning; flavor; flavour; moderation;
adjustment. influence (of the weather). chance
(adj-na) (uk) irresponsible; perfunctory; careless. lukewarm; half-baked; halfhearted; vague. reasonable; moderate (usu. in suggestions or orders); (adv) considerably; quite; rather; pretty
: year-end, -years-old
, ,
In the North Pole Warehouse, small Santa Claus lutins stop the assembly line and
protest against the atrocious year-end working conditions.
(suf) -years-old
(n-t) time; years
143
(n) 20 years old
: to cut, to judge
Thanksgiving,
Before Thanksgiving (the Soil Party), the tailor is cutting cutttting cutttttting
clothes just as fast as Santa lutins.
(n,vs,adj-no) trial; judgement; judgment
(n) court; courthouse
(v5k,vt) to judge
Sheep
: sheep
Pictogram of a sheep seen from above.
sheep
: wool
Wood Craft? This game would certainly stand out since it would be very different
from any other game.
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: to wear, to reach
Wearing wool all over my body, except over the eyes. Ready for the perfect crime!
(v1,vt) to wear (in modern Japanese, from the shoulders down); to put
on. to bear (guilt, etc.)
(v5k) to arrive at; to reach. to sit on; to sit at (e.g. the table); .
(v5k,vi) to calm down; to compose oneself; to regain presence
of mind. to calm down; to settle down; to die down; to become stable; to
abate. to settle down (in a location, job, etc.); to settle in. to be settled;
to be fixed; to have been reached. to harmonize with; to harmonise with; to
match; to suit; to fit. to be unobtrusive; to be quiet; to be subdued
: fresh
A merchant is selling fresh fishes and sheep. Yeah, but his fishes are as fresh are
his sheep!
(n) Korea
(adj-na) vivid; bright; brilliant; clear; fresh; vibrant. skillful;
skilful; adept; adroit; deft; brilliant; beautiful; fine; excellent
(adj-na) fresh
: beauty
A primitive culture venerating the beauty of big sheep.
(adj-i) beautiful; lovely
145
(n,n-suf) beauty
(n) beautiful person (woman)
: ego
Egotic Nerd/Otakus like me (and you maybe) prefer hand parties over real parties.
(pn,adj-no) we
(ok,pn,adj-no) I; me.
(adj-pn) my; our; ones own
: righteous
Righteous religious people are sheep with enough ego to think theyre right and
the rest will burn in hell for eternity.
(n,adj-no) morality; righteousness; justice; honour (honor). meaning.
(Buddh) teachings; doctrine; (n,n-pref) nonconsanguineous relationship (i.e.
of in-laws). prosthesis.
(n) doctrine; rule; principle
(n) justice; right; righteousness; correct meaning
: deliberation
Megacorp
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: altar
A table on which you show ().
: company, shrine
With lifetime employment, a Japanese company is (or used to be) like a shrine:
your desk is an altar and the companys soil is a sacred place where you stay 24/7.
: observe
Tourists (eyes on legs) observe an altar in a cathedral. Christians believe God sees
through it (as through everything else).
(n,vs) disregarding; ignoring
(v1,vt) to see; to look; to watch; to view; to observe. to look over; to
look on; to assess; to examine; to judge. (uk) to look after; to keep an eye on;
to take care of. to view (e.g. flowers, movie). (uk) to try; to try out. (uk)
to see that...; to find that....
(n) opinion; point of view; visual point
: cloak
: first, new
Brand new cloak, has just been tailored.
147
(adv,adj-no) for the first time; (adv) only after ... is it ...; only
when ... do you ...
(suf) first doing of ... (ever, in ones life, in the new year, etc.).
(adj-no,n-pref,n) first; new.
: supplment
, ,
Note that the central stroke for again is longer here. But I just see the right
component as a full weird costume supplementing the cloak.
(v5u,vt) to compensate for; to supplement
(suf) assistant ...; probationary ....
(n,vs) compensation; reinforcement
: wear, put on
Wearing a cloak as an additional skin layer... nice on some animals but really weird
on a human!
(v5r,vt) to put on (ones head); to wear; to have on; to pull over
(ones head); to crown (oneself). to be covered with (dust, snow, etc.); to
pour (water, etc.) on oneself; to dash on oneself; to ship water. to bear (e.g.
someones debts, faults, etc.); to take (blame); to assume (responsibility); to
shoulder (burden). to overlap (e.g. sound or color). to be similar; to be
redundant; (v5r,vi) to be fogged (due to overexposure, etc.). to close; to
come to an end. to get a full house; to sell out. (arch) to blunder; to bungle;
to fail. (arch) to be deceived
(pref) indicates the target of an activity; -ee (e.g. employee, examinee, trustee).
(n) suspect (person)
: festival
flesh, ,
A religious festival where you sacrifice flesh and crotches on an altar? Interesting...
(n) festival; feast
(n) festival; feast
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: occasion
City walls are blocked, that is gates are closed on the occasion of a city-wide festival.
To determine which festival, you can draw inspiration from the previous story...
(adj-no,adv,n) practicality; practical. reality; actuality; actual
conditions. (Buddh) bhutakoti (limit of reality)
(n,n-suf) edge; brink; verge; side. time; moment of.
(adv) virtually; practically; in practice. currently; presently.
: guess
The Police (is trying to guess in which suburban house is hidden the suspicious ritual...
(v5s,vt) to guess; to sense; to presume; to judge. to sympathize with;
to sympathise with.
(n) consideration; guess; conjecture; judgment; judgement.
(n,vs) sense; infer
: anouncement
Oracle: everyone praying for a good announcement from the gods via the cows
mouth.
(v1,vt) to tell; to inform; to announce. to indicate; to signal; to
mark
(n,vs,adj-no) confession; acknowledgement; acknowledgment. profession of love. confession of sins (e.g. the confessional)
(n) defendant; the accused
: create
A company cycle from top-right to bottom-left: you create a product then announce
it then ship it via roads.
149
(v5r,vt) to make; to produce; to manufacture; to build; to construct.
to prepare (food); to brew (alcohol). to raise; to grow; to cultivate; to train.
to till. to draw up (a document); to make out; to prepare; to write. to
create (an artistic work, etc.); to compose. to coin (a phrase); to organize; to
organise; to establish; to found. to have (a child). to make up (ones face,
etc.). to fabricate (an excuse, etc.). to form (a line, etc.). to set (a record).
to commit (a sin, etc.)
(n) structure; construction
(n) make-up; structure; physique
: deal
, , ,
A deal involving a standing man and a hole under a belt and legs? Hmmm...
(n,vs) trade; business; commerce; transaction; occupation
(n,adj-no) trader; shopkeeper; merchant.
(n) firm; company
: marketing
: long
Long-haired woman with a comb and an equally long scarf.
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: to paste, to lenghten
: wealth
Total peasant net worth: one house and one rice field, minus one mouth to feed.
(n) riches; wealth; fortune. resources. (abbr) lottery
(v5m,vi) to be rich; to become rich
(n) Mount Fuji; Mt. Fuji; Fujiyama; Fuji-san
: assistance, vice-
The Shogun hires assistant Samurais to collect taxes with sabers, because hes the
one mouth controlling all the rice fields.
(adv,n) (uk) especially; above all. inter alia; among others.
(n,abbr) executive vice-president
(n) deputy head; deputy director; vice chief (of something).
executive officer (navy).
: separated
, bound to,
You can see the guy on the left has a weak neck: his head is poorly bound to the
rest of his body. With the saber on the right, its obvious that his head is gonna be
separated. He probably failed to pay his taxes.
151
(ok,adj-no,adj-na,n,n-suf,n-pref) distinction; difference; different; another;
particular; separate; extra; exception.
(v1,vi) to be divided; to part from; to separate; to bid farewell; .
(adv) (not) particularly; nothing. separately; apart
: employee
A Japanese salaryman is an employee that puts a shell on his mouth whenever hes
talking to a superior.
(n-adv,n) all members (unanimity); all hands; the whole crew; everyone; everybody
(n,n-suf) member
(n) company employee. company stockholders (esp. in legal
contexts); members of a corporation
: business plan
: plan, policy
, ,
And our efficiency plan is to cut bamboo and trees with a belt-shaped saw. Dont
question the security of this policy! (if you dont see the problem, just sketch the
situation...)
(n,n-suf) plan; policy
(n) counter-plan; counter-measure
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: to support, to mediate
: world
Just imagine the bottom part moving up, shaping the rice field into a globe that
the bottom part supports. If you have trouble visualizing, you can Google-Image
FF4 mode 7.
(n) field of vision
(n) (biol) kingdom. (geol) erathem (rock layer corresponding to the era in
which it was deposited). partition of land; (suf) the world of (some category).
(n,adj-no) limit; bound
: generation, society
, ,
: leave
, ,
Sketch a family tree: leaves are flowers at the end of the generational branches.
(ok,n) language; dialect. word; words; phrase; term; expression;
153
remark. speech; (manner of) speaking.
(n) leaf
(n) Chiba (city).
: cooperate
Accounting
: owl
: simple
, ,
: party
A party where people have arrows and long words like Samurai.
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: fight, war
A party gathering two rival groups (eg. football club supporters) turns into a simple
fight then gradually into a war... IRL, war is simply a big fiesta for the weapon and
oil industries!
(n,vs) war
(v5u,vi) to fight; to battle; to combat; to struggle against; to wage
war; to engage in contest
(n) war; battle; campaign; fight. (arch) troops; forces
: formerly
, ,
Formerly, ploughs with horny animals ploughed rice fields all day long because it
was slowww...
(pref) great (i.e. great-grandson, great-grandmother).
(adj-no,adj-na) unprecedented; unheard of.
(n) var. of horse raised in Nagano and Gifu.
: increase
Ah, real estate: prices of lands that used to be cheap have crazily gone up...
http://dilbert.com/strips/comic/1989-04-18/.
(v1,vi) to increase; to multiply
(v5s,vi,vt) to increase; to grow
(v5s,vt) to increase; to add to; to augment
: one
Pictogram of a yen coin. Kanji arent round!
, ,
155
(n) yen; Japanese monetary unit. circle
(n) 10,000 Yen.
(adj-i) round; circular; spherical. harmonious; calm
: next
: capital
Capital is the money you put in the bank and reinvest next.
(n,adj-no) materials; data; document
(n) qualifications; requirements; capabilities
(n) funds; capital
: appearance, figure
Tip to avoid being intimidated by attractive women: the next one will have an
even better figure.
(n) figure; form; shape. appearance; dress; guise. state; condition;
picture; image. form (of a waka); (n-suf) dressed in ...; wearing ...
(n) (physical) appearance (of a person); ones face and figure
(n) suited figure; person in a suit.
: price, value
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Unarmed Segata Sanshiro kicking a cowboy villains ass and bringing the reward
back to Sega.
(n) valuation; estimation; assessment; evaluation; (vs) to value; to
assess; to estimate value. to appreciate; to value highly; to acknowledge the
value (of something)
(adj-na,n) high price
(n) price; value; cost
: ballot, vote
In the beginning of the US, ballots were on altars because cowboys wouldnt attack
in a church.
(n,n-suf,ctr) vote; ballot; (n-suf,n) label; ticket; tag; stub
(n) vote tally.
: price
Chuck Norris: Tell me the price straightaway you stupid expensive thing salesman!
(n) value; worth; merit
(n,adj-no) price; cost. value; worth; merit. (math) value; count;
number. (comp) variable (computer programming, programing)
(vs-s) to be worth; to deserve; to merit
: vermillon
In autumn, leaves that have fallen are yellow and those who have not yet are
vermilion.
(n) red; crimson; scarlet. red-containing colour (e.g. brown, pink, orange).
(col) Red (i.e. communist). (abbr) red light. (abbr) red ink (i.e. in
finance or proof-reading); (in) the red; (adj-no,n-pref) complete; total; perfect;
obvious.
(n) neo-Confucianism (based on the teachings of Zhu Xi and his
followers).
157
(n) type of silver coin in the Edo period.
: stock
Do you prefer to buy stock in a green tree like Google or a vermilion tree like
Kodak?
(n,ctr) stock; share; (n) stump; (n,ctr) root; rootstock. strain (of
bacteria, etc.); (n,n-suf) tradeable rank; goodwill; (n) ones forte; .
(n) public company; corporation; KK; formula for an
incorporated public company
(n) shareholder; stockholder
: nightbreak
(adv) (uk) once. for a moment; temporarily; (n) (arch) one
morning; .
(n-adv,n-t) on the brink of. morning and evening; day and night.
(n-adv,n-t) first day of the month; commentary.
: to aquire, to get
, ,
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Atlas had to carry the world with a finger until nightbreak... what a burden!
(n,vs) (in) charge (of an area of responsibility, but not necessarily
supervision of staff)
(v5g,vt) to shoulder; to carry on ones shoulder. to take (someone)
for a ride; to deceive; to take in
(n,vs) burden; charge; responsibility
Bureaucracy
: officer
Police officers that look like theyre from old history carrying a big sword.
(n,arch) an official.
(n) official.
: use
: bureaucracy
, secret agent
Nested component for a discrete secrete agent whose whole body looks like sunglasses. At home and in a governmental agency, hes just a seemingly-normal bureaucrat.
159
: building
This ridiculously huge building? Noooo, thats not where the bureaucrat work,
thats just their cafeteria. Dont complain about your taxpayer money.
(n,suf) house; hall; building.
(n) Japanese hotel; inn; ryokan
(ok,n) library.
: expert
The secret agent wears a towel, turns it into a white coat so he can look like a
nuclear physic expert to the Ruusianns.
(n) teacher; master; ones mentor; (n,suf) religious leader; (suf) specialist;
(n) (arch) five-battalion brigade comprising 2500 men (Zhou-dynasty Chinese
army).
(n,adj-no) doctor; physician
(n,adj-no) teacher (classroom)
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: original
: perfection
Make fun of a ridiculous sect (or big religion if youre an atheist): This is the House
of Perfection since the Beginning and with no End... Blahblahblah blahblahblaaah...
Aaamennn.
(adj-na,n,adj-no) perfection; completeness
(n,vs) complete; completion. perfection; accomplishment
(n) The End (book, film, etc.); Finis.
: institution
: forbidden
All sized forbidden plants burnt on an altar by the police or a religion.
(v1,vt) to prohibit
161
(n,vs) prohibition; inhibition; ban
(n) ban (e.g. on smoking); prohibition.
: comitee
: to duplicate, to imitate
In the UK the right to print a copy of the KJV Bible is bestowed by the crown:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_James_Bible#Copyright_status
(v5r,vi) to be photographed; to be projected
(v5s,vt) to transcribe; to duplicate; to reproduce; to imitate; to trace.
to describe. to film; to picture; to photograph
(n) copy; duplicate; facsimile; transcript
: password
, snare
The bottom part is not a . Say the right password with your mouth or the
snares gonna cut your throat.
(n,n-suf) number; edition; make; model; issue; part of that group.
sobriquet; pen-name
(n) number; series of digits
(n,vs) traffic lights; signal; semaphore
: pipe
The MPAA and bureaucrats who make stupid Internet laws seem to think the
Internet is a network of bamboo pipes... Maybe thats what they use to avoid the
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NSA?
(n,n-suf) pipe; tube
(n,vs) control; management (e.g. of a business)
(n) manager; administrator; supervisor. custodian; concierge;
superintendent; janitor.
: compute
, ,
Compute with a bamboo abacus with an eye and your two hands.
(n,vs) calculation; reckoning; count. forecast
(n) divining sticks; (n,vs) counting; calculation.
(n,vs) calculation; self-interest; selfishness.
: system
, ,
Our abattoir system: cows are strangled with belts then sliced with sabers.
(v5s,vt) to control; to command; to get the better of.
(n,n-suf) system; organization; organisation; imperial command; laws; regulation; control; government; suppression; restraint; holding back; establishment; .
(n,vs,adj-no) obligation; coercion; compulsion; enforcement
: group
Japanese live pent in small real estate and glued in social groups like coworkers.
(n) body; group; party; company; troupe.
(n,adj-no) (army) division
(n,adj-no) body; group; party; gang; troupe
: cause(d by)
163
The cause of the kitchen mess is that you pent a big hunter dog in it all day as if
it were a puppy...
(n,vs) cause; origin; source
(adj-na,n,adj-no) cause and effect; karma; fate
(n,adj-no) main cause; primary factor
: to guard
: politics, government
The original aim of politics is to find the right taskmaster to govern citizens.
(n) government; administration
(n) rule; government.
(n) political measures; policy
: assault
The taskmaster assaults workers not doing their craft as fast as he wants them to.
(v1,vt) to attack; to assault; to assail
(n) attack; offence; offense. (uk,col) dominant partner of a homosexual
relationship; (suf) a barrage of; a flood of
(n,vs,adj-no) major subject; special study
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: to release
When youre released, you can go any direction you want and be your own taskmaster.
(v5t,vt) to fire (e.g. an arrow); to hit (e.g. baseball); to break wind.
to free; to release. to give off (e.g. a scent); to emit (e.g. light); .
(n,vs) release; unleashing; liberation; emancipation; setting free.
(comp) deallocation (of computer memory)
(v5s,vt) to release; to let go; to free; to set free; to let loose; to turn
loose. to add (pieces of eggplant, potato, etc.) to water, broth, etc.; .
: income, supply
clitoris,
Picture the left part as a clitoris: prostitution is supplying a clitoris and crotches
for an income.
(v1,vt) to dedicate; to make an offering; to pay (fees). to supply.
to store. to finish; to bring to a close. to restore (something to its place).
to achieve (e.g. a result)
(v5r,vi) to be in ones place; to be installed; to settle into. to
be delivered; to be obtained; to be paid. to be settled; to be sorted out.
to lessen (e.g. of storms, pain); to calm down. to be fit tightly into (e.g. a
frame); to be sheathed (in a scabbard)
(n) income; receipts; revenue
: therefore
Confucian philosphy in Asian companies: youre old therefore you become taskmaster.
(ok,n) accident; incident; trouble. circumstances; reasons.
(adv,uk) why; how
(pref) the late (deceased).
165
: failure
If an entrepreneur runs out of money, thats complete failure: he has to work for
the taskmaster at the lowest-levestrangle and poison taskmasterl position.
(n,adj-no,vs) failure; mistake; blunder
(n) defeat; (vs,vi) to be defeated
(v1,vi) to be defeated; to be beaten; to be unsuccessful; to lose; .
: reform
: honorific, repect
, ,
Use honorific language (), that is, flowery phrases when talking to the taskmaster or get fired.
(n) reverence; respect.
(adj-na,int,n,vs) rudeness; saying good-bye; acting impolitely; stealing; impoliteness; disrespect; impertinence
(n,vs) respect and affection.
: police
Only speak honorific to the police or go to jail.
(n,adj-no) police
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: together
Salad (nested pictogram) and animal legs often go together in fast foods.
: unusual, to differ
Its unusual to have brains linked together as computers are. Maybe it will be
different when neuroscience is advanced enough...
(adj-na,n) strangeness; abnormality; disorder
(v5r,vi) to differ; to vary; to disagree
(n,adj-na) difference (of opinion); (adj-na) strange; odd; unusual; (pref)
different.
: companion, followers
: elect
, , ,
167
A bunch of snakes gathered on the road to elect their President.
(v5b,vt) to choose; to select
(n,n-suf) selection; choice; choosing; picking; election
(n,vs) being elected. being selected (to win a prize, etc.). winning
(in a lottery, raffle, etc.)
: shape suffix
: commander
, ,
To a commander, war is a game with turtles (tanks), vultures (planes) and lemurians glued to the ground (soldiers).
(n-adv,n-t) future (usually near); prospects
(n,adj-no) general; admiral; (n) boss; leader; local kingpin.
(fam) old chap; mate; boss; chief; man. athlete who competes in the last
match of a team competition (kendo, judo, etc.)
(n) commissioned officer
: lawsuit
, ,
A lawsuit is the white-collar wordy equivalent of taking an axe and split drops of
blood.
(v1,vt) to raise; to bring to (someones attention). to appeal
to; to call for. to complain. to sue (a person); to take someone to court.
to resort to (e.g. arms, violence)
(n) lawsuit; complaint
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Turkey
: turkey
: to gather
: to follow, to conform to
, ,
Ten laboriously swimming turkeys follow the exact same path like cute little ducks
on a stream.
(n) level; standard. water level
(pref) semi-; quasi-; associate
(n,adj-no) standard; basis; criterion; norm; reference; datum
: hermit
169
hermit). one not bound by earthly desires or the thoughts of normal men
: event, conference
You can imagine the Turkey Con full of hermits, but doesnt this remind you of
any otaku/geek/dev conference? Full of hermits and their laptops/toys (turkeys).
(v5s,vt) to hold (a meeting); to give (a dinner); to show signs of.
to feel (sensation, emotion, etc.)
(n,vs) sponsorship (i.e. conducting under ones auspices); promotion;
organizing; organising; hosting; staging
(n,adj-no) hypnotism
Pegasus,
Nested pictogram of a flying horse or turkey. Once you get the pictogram, its clear
that from the Pegasus, you can look over the big picture.
: authority
, Pegasus
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: certainly
, ,
Just to be certain, well throw a big boulder over the turkey house...
(adv) surely; certainly.
(exp,n,adj-na) certain; sure; definite; (adv) if Im not mistaken; if I
remember correctly
(adj-na,n) accurate; punctual; exact; authentic; veracious
: to advance, progress
A turkey is advancing on the road... slowly but surely, like a Japanese student or
worker.
(v5m,vi) to grow wild; to run to waste.
(v1,vt) to advance; to promote; to hasten
(n,vs) rush; charge
: conjecture, deduction
: Han, Kanji
The right part is composed of flower, mouth and husband and actually does look
like an antic Asian scarecrow. Now Google-Image an ancient Asian map: they look
like just a bunch of rivers/oceans and kanji.
171
: difficult
China/Kanji,
: week(-end-)day suffix
day, feathers,
: vessel
, crotch
Imagine how long it used to be to cross the Atlantic on a vessel, without even a
computer. Sailors could only eat turkeys and play with their crotches (homosexuality
was considered a sin).
(ctr) counter for ships (large boats). counter for half of a pair (e.g. half
of a folding screen). counter for fish, birds, arrows, etc..
(n) several (boats).
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: safeguard
, ,
Some vessels from some game or manga are welcome back with flowers and thankful
words for having safeguarded the village/kingdom/world.
(n,vs) care; protection; shelter; safeguard; guardianship; favor; favour;
patronage.
(n,vs,adj-no) protection; safeguard; (n) shugo (Kamakura or Muromachi period military governor).
(v5r,vt) to protect; to guard; to defend. to keep (i.e. a promise); to
abide (by the rules); to observe; to obey; to follow.
Wheat
: autumn
Its often painful to rake fire-red leaves in autumn, why not just burn everything?
(n-t) autumn; fall
(n) thousand years; many years.
(n) autumn moon; harvest moon.
: to move, transfer
When you move out or when banks transfer cash, thats many many grains of
wheat to move.
(v5r,vi) to move (house); to transfer (department). to change the
target of interest or concern. to elapse (passage of time). to be permeated
by a colour or scent. (uk) to be infected; to be contagious; to spread (as in
fire)
(v5s,vt) to change; to swap; to substitute; to transfer. to change
the object of ones interest or focus. to spend or take time. to infect. to
permeate something with the smell or colour of something. to move on to the
next or different stage of (a plan, etc.)
173
(n,vs,adj-no) migration; immigration
: private, I
A wheat protection box that cuts your elbow if you try to steal the private wheat
without the right password.
(pn,adj-no,fem) I; me.
(pn,adj-no) we; us.
(n) myself.
: tax
, devil
The right part is a funny devil nested pictogram. Puritan Republican farmers
think taxing their wheat is evil.
, devil
The farmer opines that the evolution theory is the word of the devil.
(n,vs,adj-no) explanation; exposition
(n,adj-no) novel; (short) story
(n,n-suf) theory; doctrine; (n) opinion; view. rumour; rumor; gossip;
hearsay
: to be effective, profit
Effective profit: cut wheat with a saber and sell. Today, it actually works with
cooper.
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: presentation
: process, extent
During this presentation: #Buzzzword, #Buzzzword, our company wheat #process is to put it all in the Kings mouth only.
(n-adv,n) degree; extent; bounds; limit; (prt) (uk) indicates approx.
amount or maximum; upper limit
(n-adv,n-t) some time ago; not long ago; just now
(exp,adv,uk) I see; Thats right!; Indeed
: calm, peace
Throughout French History, Paris was calm and peaceful only when every mouth
had wheat, otherwise there was a revolt.
(adj-na,n) peace; harmony
(n) Yamato; ancient province corresponding to modern-day Nara
Prefecture. (ancient) Japan; (adj-f) Japanese
(n) calm (at sea); lull.
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Dirty Schemes
: fingerprint
: bad luck
(adj-na,n) trouble; burden; nuisance; bother; worry. care; dependence; support; kindness; obligation; staying (with a person)
(n) misfortune; bad luck; evil; disaster
(n) dependent; parasite; hanger-on; burden.
: danger
: stamp, mark
staple, stamp
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: welcome
, ,
This moment when a transporter rings at your bells and you welcome this longawaited stamped box thats made its way from the shop...
(v1,vt) to go out to meet. to receive; to welcome. to accept
(e.g. as a member of a group or family). to call for; to summon; to invite.
to approach (a certain time, a point in ones life, etc.)
(v1,vt) to meet; to greet
(n,adj-no,vs) (pol) receiving; welcoming; going to meet; (n) final
call; call of fate; approach of death.
: crime
The FBI solves crimes with a pack of wild dogs and sometimes fingerprints.
(n) offender; criminal
(v5s,vt) to commit (e.g. crime); to perpetrate. to transgress; to
contravene. to violate; to ravish; to rape; to deflower
(n) crime; criminal act; offence; offense
: news, gossip
, ,
Some people are happy to inform themselves with gossip tabloids with for example
lady Gaga wearing only a stamp on her crotch.
(n,vs) report; information
(n) information; report; journalism; news; (vs) to report
(n,n-suf) information; news; report
: rules
The #1 feudal rule is that peasants give their money to the guys with sabers.
(n) rules; regulations; conventions
(n) principle; general rule
177
(adj-i) regular; well-regulated; systematic.
: side
Strong peoples rules are that you should always be on their side.
(adj-no,n-adv,n-t) side; edge; beside; besides; nearby; (n-adv) while
(doing).
(n,adj-no) inside; interior; inner part
(n,adj-no) both sides
: duty, responsibility
, ,
Feudal system again: the vassal Samurai is a drop of Lord Segata Sanshiro and is
thus completely liable to him.
(v1,vt) to entrust (e.g. a task) to another; to leave to. to
passively leave to someone elses facilities. to leave to take its natural course.
to continue (something) in a natural fashion (without particular aim). to
rely fully on ones (full strength, great ability, long time taken) to get something
done
(n) person in charge; responsible official; senior staff
(n) obligation; duty; charge; responsibility
: help, assistant
An Important Persons left-hand man is an assistant that gets even less credit and
pay than the right-hand man.
(n) major; lieutenant commander; wing commander
(n) colonel; (navy) captain
(n) lieutenant colonel; commander (navy)
: double
A double is muzzled Hollywood Star.
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: substitute
A shooting target is a substitute for a person on which you can shoot arrows.
(n) substitution. material. price. margin (e.g. for stapling, etc.); area
required for something. (arch) shiro (unit of land area equal to one-fiftieth of
a tan; 19.83 m.sq.).
(adv) instead of; for; as; in exchange for; in return (for); to make
up for.
(adj-na,n-adv,n-t) ancient times
: plate
(n) plate; dish; platter; disc; (n,n-suf,ctr) serving; helping; course; (n)
kanji radical 108 (at the bottom)
(n) large plate; platter.
(n) plate; dish.
: blood
A Vampire goes to a Haute Cuisine restaurant and orders blood. He waits one
hour, only has a drop of it on a plate and is charged a ridiculous price. Now hes
both hungry and angry at the Chef...
(n) blood; consanguinity
(n,vs) bleeding; haemorrhage; hemorrhage. bleeding money; red
ink; selling below cost
(n,adj-no) blood vessel; vein
179
: shelf
(adv,conj,uk) yet; moreover; and.
(conj,uk) besides; furthermore; moreover.
(conj,uk) besides; furthermore; moreover.
: investigate
: peak, boom
In the First World, economic booms turned empty plates into more-than-full ones.
(n,n-suf,ctr) serving (of food); helping; (n) (abbr) chilled soba served on
a dish (often on a wicker basket or in a shallow steaming basket) with dipping
sauce.
(v5r,vi) to prosper; to flourish. to copulate (animals).
(adj-na) popular. prosperous. enthusiastic. energetic; vigorous; .
: advantage
, , animal legs,
Think evolution: sharp horns and long legs are an advantage to fill your dish.
(n,vs) profit; gains. benefit; advantage; interest (of the public, etc.)
(n) benefit; use; good; advantage; gain. profit; gains
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: masses, crowd
, , , , rag
The bottom part is a mix of person and rag (as in ) but just imagine masses
of squashed zombies covered with blood.
(n,n-suf) masses; great number; the people.
(n,adj-no) people; populace; masses
(n,adj-no) general public; the masses
: slave
Pictogram of a chained guy.
: supervison
, lying down, ,
Slaves are lying down to clean the floor where the master dropped a dish. Supervisor: Ruulezz arre rulless: No lying down, youll be scolded with solitary confinement.
(n,vs) observation; guarding; inspection; surveillance
(n,vs,adj-no) confinement
Chapter 6
Transport
At this point, youve hopefully made a lot of connections between kanji and daily life
objects. Keep up the good work with means of transport and roads!
Means of transport
: car, vehicle
Pictogram of a car seen from above.
: army
The British army is just a bunch of tanks (cars with crowns) serving the Crown.
(n) war; battle; campaign; fight. (arch) troops; forces.
(n) general; shogun
(n,adj-no) navy
181
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: carry, transport
: rising cloud
You can picture a dust cloud; I just imagine a Naruto jutsu.
: to turn, to shift
When you turn a car in a dusty area like a mountain, clouds of dust rise.
(v5r,vi) to roll; to tumble. to fall over; to roll over. to lie
down. to be scattered about; to be common. (of a situation or outcome) to
change; to turn out
(n) bicycle
(n,vs,adj-no) operation; motion; driving
: butcher
Picture flesh instead of moon: a butcher cuts meat with a saber.
183
: transport, freight
, ,
: missile
: beat
, ,
In Dilbert Cartoon S1E04 The Takeover, Dilberts car has a hand-activated missile
to beat other cars in traffic jams!
: fly
Picture a flying bird with two wings and a thousand needles instead of needles.
(v5b,vi) to jump; to leap; to spring; to bound; to hop. to fly; to soar
(v5s,vi) to jump out; to rush out; to fly out. to appear
(suddenly). to protrude; to project. to butt in
(v5s,vt) to fly; to fire; to hurl; to launch; to make fly. to skip over;
to omit; to drop (e.g. stitch). to run or drive fast; to gallop. to spread a
rumour (rumor); to tell a story; to tell a joke. to remove; to get rid of; to
transfer. to attack; to jeer at
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: harbor, port
, together, snake
A harbor, especially a marina, is a place with water (duh!) and a lot of boats
together. When one starts off, water looks like snails behind it.
(suf) harbour.
(n) airport
(n,vs) departure; clearance (of a ship)
: run
, mending
Nested pictogram for mending. Salves, please mend a 10 miles track before tomorrow for a running race!
About roads
, ,
mending
I accompanied a horny girl to her dorm room in a dorm row therefore I could mend
her.
(v5u,vi) to abide (by the rules); to obey; to follow; to accompany; .
(exp) in accordance with; according to
(n) employee; worker
185
: to send, to dispatch
Satan,
Nested primitive for Satan: something with horns that lives in the sky (or the
opposite therof...). He basically dispatches and escorts people on the entry road to
hell. Maybe he also ships things to the earth.
: to leave
If your elbow and the rest of your body is under the soil, it means your time has
elapsed and that youre gone.
(v5r,vi) to leave; to go away. to pass; to elapse. to be distant; (v5r,vt)
to send away; to drive off; to divorce; (suf,v5r) (after a -masu stem, esp. of
a suru verb) ... completely; (adj-pn) last ... (e.g. last April); .
(v5r,vi) to leave; to depart; to take ones leave
(v5r) to disappear; to vanish.
: method, law
If Al Gore had been elected (or any Green Party anywhere), the government would
have granted $1B to scientists to find ways of surviving if all water were gone...
(n) method; process; manner; way; means; technique
(n,n-suf) law; act; principle. method. (ling) mood. (Buddh) dharma; .
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: to transmit
: technique, art
Too many possible metaphors: farts, ninja justsu, kung-fu, art, etc. Chose your
own.
(n) art; craft; accomplishment; artistic skill; technique; performance; .
(n) geisha; Japanese singing and dancing girl
(n,adj-no) literature; art and literature; belles-lettres
secret agent,
The secret agent following or chasing some bad guy on the road.
(v5u,vt) to chase; to run after; to pursue. to follow (i.e. a set order, a
trend). to drive out; to oust; to expel. to drive (i.e. a herd). (in passive
voice) to be pressed (for time, etc.)
(v1,vt) to chase; to run after; to pursue
(adv,conj) later on; shortly; presently; afterwards; in due course; by
and by. P.S..
: dispatch
purse,
You stole Mrs Domyoji (evil billionaire woman)s purse? Tons of cars with secret
agents have been dispatched to chase and finnnddd youuu...
187
(n,vs) dispatch; despatch; deployment
(v5r,vt) (uk) to send; to dispatch; to despatch. (uk) to put; to move; to
turn (ones head, glance, etc.). (uk) to give (esp. to someone of equal or lower
status); to let have; to present; to bestow; to confer. (uk) to make (a vehicle)
go faster. (uk,col) to do; to undertake; to perform; to play (a game); to study.
(uk) to run (a business); to keep; to be engaged in; to practice (law, medicine,
etc.); to practise. (uk) to have (food, drink, etc.); to eat; to drink; to smoke.
(uk) to hold (a performance); to perform; to show. (uk) to ease (ones mind).
(col,uk) to harm; to injure; to kill. (uk,sl) to have sex with; (v5r,vi) (uk) to
live; to get by; to get along; (suf,v5r) (uk) to do ... completely. (uk) to do ...
broadly; to do ... to a great distance; (aux-v,v5r) (uk) to do ... for (someone
of equal or lower status); to do ... to (sometimes with negative nuance). (uk)
to make active efforts to ....
(v5u,vt) to use (a thing, method, etc.); to make use of; to put to
use. to use (a person, animal, puppet, etc.); to employ; to handle; to manage;
to manipulate. to use (time, money, etc.); to spend; to consume. to use
(language); to speak.
: crowded, overloaded
, mend
A pirate got his leg mended by a whales mouth and has a wooden leg instead.
His opinion of it? Good enough.
(n) foot. leg. gait. pace. bottom structural component (i.e. radical)
of a kanji. means of transportation. (arch) money; coin
(adj-na,n,vs) satisfaction; contentment; complacency; (adj-na,n)
sufficient; enough; adequate; proper
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: path
A path/route is formed of many legs and each combination of legs forms a different
path.
(n) road; highway
(suf) route; road. distance travelled in a day. (with decade) ones ....; age
.....
(n) alley; alleyway; lane. teahouse garden. path through a gate (or
through a garden, etc.)
jawbone,
Nested jawbone primitive. An idiotic biker has really done too much shit and ends
up with his jawbone flat on the road.
, ,
A sheep is carrying some muddy vase and has reached the end of his way.
(suf) pluralizing suffix (esp. for people & animals; formerly honorific); .
(n) friend; companion
189
(v5s) to reach; to get to.
: bundle
(n,n-suf) (math) lattice; (n,n-suf,ctr) counter for large bundles (e.g. 10
sheafs of rice, 200 sheets of calligraphy paper, 20 whistling arrows, 100 fish).
handbreadth (unit for measuring the length of arrows).
(n) bunch of flowers; bouquet
(v1,vt) to tie up in a bundle (e.g. straw, hair, bills, letters); to
bundle; to sheathe. to govern; to manage; to control; to administer
: fast, speed
The truck in front of you on the road dropped a bundle of shit? Brake FAAASTT!!
(adj-i) fast; quick; hasty; brisk. early (in the day, etc.); premature.
(too) soon; not yet; (too) early. easy; simple; quick
(adv) at once; immediately; without delay; promptly
(n,vs) acceleration; speeding up
If you found your roommate is hiding a bundle of heads, you could no longer trust
him... You might even have to beg him...
(v5m) to request; to beg; to ask. to call; to order; to reserve. to
entrust to. to rely on
(n,vs) reliance; trust; faith; confidence
(n) reliance; dependence
: organize
, ,
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Youre a war prisoner worker and youd better arrange bundle correctly because
the German taskmaster is watching...
(n,vs) sorting; arrangement; organization; putting in order; adjustment;
regulation; liquidation
(v1,vt) to put in order; to arrange; to adjust. to get ready;
to prepare. to raise money
(v5u,vi) to be prepared; to be in order; to be put in order; to be
arranged
: locket
: difference
A road paved of lost lockets... but you know how your one is different and can find
it!
(v5u,vi) to differ; to be different. to run counter to. to change (into
something out of the ordinary).
(n,n-suf) difference; discrepancy
(n,vs) difference; discrepancy; variation
: defense, guard
Imagine a magic locket in the middle of a boulevard with monsters pupping out of
it and defending it. Would be a good T-RPG fight.
(n) middle palace guard (ritsuryo system).
(n) Imperial Guards
(n,vs) guard; convoy; escort
: Korea
mist,
191
Nested mist component (the same as in ): whats between early and ten
oclock. Picture the South Korean flag as a locket surrounded by mist.
(n,arch) China; Korea.
(n,n-pref,arch) China (sometimes also used in ref. to Korea or other foreign
countries).
(n) Korean person.
: potato
: to save money, in excess
, ,
: route, destination
If you stay too long on the road, you get to another destination and need to plan
a backroute.
(n-adv,n-t) on the way; en route. in the middle of; midway
(n) way; destination; reason
(n) way
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: scales
: to stretch, to grow
193
Use a walking stick to support your flesh.
(n,n-suf) task; business. use; duty; service. call of nature; excretion; .
(n,vs) use; utilization; utilisation; application
(n,vs) confidence; dependence; credit; faith; reliance; belief; credence;
trust
: traffic
, ,
Moving things
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Think Zelda, Link enters a cave full of fairies that apply magic to fill up his hearts.
(n,vs) reaction; response.
(adv) once; tentatively; in outline; for the time being; just in case;
so far as it goes
(v1,vi) to respond; to satisfy; to accept; to comply with; to apply
for
: spacious, wide
: broadening
: to move things
195
run; to go; to work. to be touched; to be influenced. to change; to vary; to
fluctuate; to waver. certain; factual. to be transferred
(n,vs,adj-no) action; conduct; behaviour; behavior; mobilization; mobilisation; .
(v5s,vt) to move; to shift; to operate; to set in motion; to mobilize;
to mobilise. to inspire; to rouse; to move (e.g. feeling); to influence. to deny;
to change
: labor
Labor: picture Chinese people moving things in whatever factory you like 80 hours
a week.
(v5k,vi) to work; to labor; to labour. to function; to operate; to be
effective; to work (i.e. ... works); to come into play. to commit (e.g. a crime);
to perpetrate; to do; to act; to practise; to practice. (ling) to be conjugated
(n) work; labor; labour. achievement; performance; ability; talent.
salary; income; earnings. action; activity; workings; function; operation;
movement; motion. (ling) conjugation; inflection
(n,vs,adj-no) manual labor; manual labour; toil; work. (abbr)
Labour Party
: kind, spieces
If there werent botanists, wed classify wheat varieties by how heavy their grains
are.
(n,n-suf) cause; seed; origin; (n) variety; kind; (n,ctr) counter for
varieties.
(adv,n) species; kind; variety
(n) variety; kind; type; category; (ctr) counter for different sorts
of things
: merchandise
Pictogram of stocked merchandises.
pouncing on them.
, ,
You can imagine three homeless mouths
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: ustensil, tool
, , , ,
: quantity
You and I are/were learning such a high quantity of kanji that were used to fall
asleep late at night and wake up behind a computer at nightbreak. Keep up the good
work!
(n,n-suf) quantity; amount; volume; portion (of food)
(adj-na,n,adj-no) large quantity; massive (quantity); mass (e.g.
mass production, mass transit, mass destruction)
(n) looks; features; personal beauty. ability; talent; calibre; caliber;
capability; capacity. dignity; credit; estimation.
197
board. to send out (on the airwaves, etc.). to deceive; to take for a ride.
to (sing) along with (musical accompaniment). to let (someone) take part.
to excite (someone)
(v5r,vi) to call oneself (name, label, etc.); to give ones name (as); to
impersonate or claim (to be someone)
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Chapter 7
Factory
From now on, every chapter is going to be very short. This one is about kanji related
to making things.
Manufacturing
: however
Pictogram of a saw; used as a figurative linking word.
: make
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to commit (a sin, etc.)
: yesterday
Imagine sawing your calendar each day. Yesterday is the day you saw every morning.
(n-adv,n-t) yesterday
(n-adv,n-t) day before yesterday
(n-adv,n-t) nowadays; recently.
: previously, beforehand
Previously in history, there were no hammers and you had to hit on nails with your
elbow. See the nail is slightly deformed after this.
(n,vs,adj-no) prediction; promise; prognostication.
(pn,adj-no,arch) formal or oratory first person pronoun; I.
(n,vs,adj-no) estimate; budget
: beforehand
Today we work with computers in cities. Previously in history, there were still
empty plains in Japan and people worked in fields.
(ok,n) plain; field.
(n,pn,male,derog) bastard; asshole; arsehole; son of a bitch
(n) baseball
: service, task
, , ,
201
Foxconn is a service factory that has strong taskmasters hitting on workers that
hit nails with their elbows for efficiency.
(n) office
(n,adj-no) duty; obligation; responsibility
(n) duty; function; office; mission; task
: to hold, to own
Buddhist shrines work: priests can hold themselves on one finger and walk with
two.
(v5t) to hold (in ones hand); to take; to carry. to possess; to have; to
own. to maintain; to keep. to last; to be durable; to keep; to survive. to
take charge of; to be in charge of
(v5s,vt) to take out; to carry out; to bring out from where it
belongs. to mention something; to broach a topic; to bring up (a subject); to
raise (an issue); to mention
(n) owner; proprietor; possessor (e.g. of talent, beauty, etc.)
: leather
twenty, ,
For this leather jacket, the seller wanted 20 but with both my big mouth and my
dogs, he sold it for 10.
(n,adj-no) revolution. 58th year of the sexagenary cycle (in
onmyou-dou); .
(n) leather
(n,vs,adj-no) reform; reformation; innovation
: tool
, , leg
Picture a tool that separates a shellfish or lobsters legs from its shell with a sharp
metal bar.
(n) condition; state; manner; health
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: truth
, ,
This lying/truth detector tool is just a stupid needle in a box and nothing else!
Cant believe how much I paid for it...
(n) photograph; photo. movie
(adj-na,n,adj-no) truth; reality; genuineness. seriousness; (n) logical
TRUE. printed style writing. (abbr) star performer
(adj-na,adv,n,adj-no) truth; reality.
: to provide, to equip
, , ,
Youre gonna climb a cliff with Chuck Norris. When you check his equipment, all
you see is flowers! Thats all well use!, he says...
(n,vs) preparation; setup; arrangements; provision; reserve
(v1,vt) to furnish; to provide for; to equip; to install. to have
ready; to prepare for. to possess; to have; to be endowed with; to be armed
with
(n,vs) defense; defence; guard; policing; security
: power
Someone needs a muscled guy to help with a shelf... Urgently, because hes under
it.
(pref) help; rescue; assistant.
(v1,vt) to help; to save; to rescue; to give relief to; to spare (life);
to reinforce; to promote; to abet
(v5r,vi) to be saved; to be rescued; to survive. to escape harm;
to be spared damage. to be helped; to be saved trouble
203
The economic system allows you to manufacture clothes in China for almost nothing besides writing made in China on it.
(n,n-suf) -made; make
(n,vs,adj-no) manufacture; production
(n) manufactured goods; finished goods; product
Performance
: reason, cause
Pictogram of the root of the rice field, its cause. As a component, it will also
mean sprout.
: yellow
salad, , legs
Disgusting dish: yellow salad, yellow weird sprouts and yellow animal legs...
(n,adj-no) gold
(n,adj-na) yellow
(v5m,vi) to turn yellow; to yellow with age.
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When you open your door back home, you realize a tiger has eaten all of your
disgusting yellow salad, and now Grrrrr!!!
, ,
With his fingers, the monkey looks for bug food on his crotches.
(n,vs,adj-no) search (esp. in criminal investigations); investigation;
inquiry; enquiry
(v5s,vt) to search (for something lost); to seek (a suspect in a crime).
to search (for something desired, needed); to look for
: oil
: performance
The factory wants you to be as performant as a tiger swimming or else theyll fire
you.
(v1,vt) to perform (a play); to play (a part); to act (a part); to
commit (a blunder)
(n,vs,adj-no) acting; performance
205
(n,vs) speech; address
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Chapter 8
Gates
Primitive and the kanji it forms.
Gates
: gate
Gates: picture an Old West Saloons doors.
(n,n-suf) gate
(n,adj-no) speciality; specialty; subject of study; expert
(n) specialist; expert; professional; authority; pundit
Sungates help you cross the gap between stars in a very short time interval with
teleportation.
(n,arch) the world.
(n-adv,n) space (between); gap; interval; distance; (n-adv,n-t) time
(between); pause; break; (n-adv,n,n-t) span (temporal or spatial); stretch;
period (while); (n-adv,n) relationship (between, among). members (within,
among); (conj) (arch) due to; because of
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(n) mistake; error; blunder. accident; mishap; trouble. improper conduct (e.g. between man and woman); indiscretion
: question
Security gate with vocal recognition that asks you random secret questions.
(n,vs,adj-no) question; inquiry; enquiry
(n) question; problem; doubt; guess
(v5u-s,vt) to ask; to question; to inquire. to charge (i.e. with a crime);
to accuse. to care (about). without regard to (with negative verb); .
: ear
(n) ear. hearing. edge; crust. selvedge (non-fray machined edge of
fabrics); selvage
(n) close to the ear; into someones ear
: take
Take her ears and her crotch at the same time! Errr, I mean cover her mouth and
take her crotch at the same time...
(v5r,vt) to take; to pick up; to harvest; to earn; to win; to choose. to
steal. to eat; to have (a meal). to remove (ones glasses, etc.). to compete
(in sumo, cards, etc.); to play
(v5s,vt) to take out; to produce; to pick out. to fetch; to
retrieve; .
(v5r,vt) to receive; to get; to accept. to take; to interpret; to
understand
: most, extremely
Carpe diem - take the most out of your day.
209
(adj-no,n-adv,n-t) beginning; outset; first; onset
(adj-no,n-adv,n-t) most recent; these days; right now; recently; nowadays; .
(adv) most; extremely
: to hear, to ask
: open
: departure
, ,
You (a male) invite her in your teepee but when its time to get your two hands
on her youre so clumsy she screams and gets out!
(n,vs) discovery; detection; finding
(n,vs) departure
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CHAPTER 8. GATES
(n,n-suf) departure; departing (from ...); departing (at time ...). sending; sent (by ...); sent (at ...). (abbr) engine; (n) (abbr) green dragon tile
(mahjong); (ctr) counter for gunshots, bursts of gas, etc.; counter for bullets,
bombs, etc.; counter for blows (punches)
: to rise
South-park-esque image: you eat a magic voodoo bean and your fart propels you
out of the teepee, making a hole in its roof.
(v5r,vi) to ascend; to go up; to climb. to ascend (as a natural process,
e.g. the sun); to rise. to go to (the capital). to be promoted. to add up to.
to advance (in price). to swim up (a river); to sail up. to come up (on the
agenda)
(n,vs) entry (on stage); appearance (on screen). entrance;
introduction (into a market)
(n) the characters (in a play or novel).
: close
Only a genie can say Close Sesame to close the caverns gate.
(v1) to close (e.g. book, eyes, meeting, etc.); to shut
(v1,vt) to close; to shut
(v5s,vt) to shut; to close; to lock; to fasten. to plunge (in grief); .
: material
The main materials of Ikea furniture are wood and glue (chEApboard)...
(n,vs) news coverage; collecting data (e.g. for an article); covering
(something for media). interview
(n) ingredients; material
(n,suf) wood; lumber; timber. man of talent. (raw) material; ingredients.
211
: connection
Satans gates are connected to all thats evil. Thus, be Good or go to Hell...
(exp) related to; in relation to.
(exp) related to; in relation to.
(n) concern; interest
: tower
In Chinese factories, windows have safety nets to prevent suicide. In Wall Street
towers, quite the reverse, every floor has a saloon door so you can kill yourself if you
lose money or secretly kill your opponents... Bizzzness izz bizzzness.
(n,n-suf,hon) your Excellency; his (or her) Excellency
(n,adj-no) cabinet; (government) ministry
: storey
All the buildings in The City and Wall Street (the city walls) have at least 40
stories or so.
(n,n-suf) storey; story; floor; (n) stairs; (n,n-suf) stage (in chronostratigraphy); (ctr) counter for storeys and floors of a building
(n) lower floor; downstairs. bottom of the stairs; foot of the stairs.
(suf) an N-storey building.
: bureau, department
Some NSA deparment has email scanners that flag a lot of sentences.
(n,n-suf) bureau; department. (abbr) office (e.g. post, telephone);
broadcasting station (e.g. television, radio); channel; exchange. affair; situation; (n,n-suf,ctr) game (of go, shogi, etc.)
(n) bureau director; office chief
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: time(-counter)
The number of times you recursively write a mouth inside a mouth - limited to
two here for convenience reasons.
(ctr) counter for occurrences. counter for games, rounds, etc.; counter for
innings (baseball); (n,n-pref) Islam; (n) (abbr) Hui (people)
(v5r,vi) to turn; to revolve. to visit several places. to function well.
to pass a certain time
(n-adv,n-t) now; this time; lately
Chapter 9
Threads
Primitive and the kanji it forms.
Threads
: thread, Spiderman
(n,n-suf) thread; yarn; string
(n) thread end. beginning. clue
(n) gold thread.
: engagement
, ,
In a middle of a software licensing contract no one reads: if you break this engagement, a Spiderman clone will come beat you up with a ladle until you drop blood
drops..
(n,vs) arrangement; promise; appointment; pact; engagement.
convention; rule
(adv) approximately; about; (n) promise. shortening; reduction; simplification. (ling) contraction (in phonetics)
(n,vs,adj-no) reservation; appointment; booking; advance order.
contract; subscription; pledge
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: overall
: whole, general
, ,
The NSA wants to control the whole country so they put threads (and microphones)
in every public heart (place).
(n,pref) whole; all; general; gross; entire; overall
(n) (college) president; secretary-general
(n,vs,adj-no) synthesis; coordination; putting together; integration;
composite; (adj-f) comprehensive
: continue
: to end
But heres the end of Spiderman [FAKE SPOILERS]: Spiderman dies in a winter
New York snowstorm because his costume is too thin...
(v5r,vi) to finish; to end; to close
215
(v5r,vi) to finish; to end; to close.
(v1,vt) to finish. to graduate
: good luck
Samurai,
In the Kaamelott TV show, the Samurais wife wishes good luck by to her husband
by kissing him before a battle and asks Did it go well? at the end of the day in the
bed.
(n,adj-no) good fortune (esp. omikuji fortune-telling result); good luck;
auspiciousness.
(adj-na,n) ominous; sinister; bad luck; ill omen; inauspiciousness; .
(n) slightly good luck (as a fortune telling result).
: to tie, to link
: club, united
The Spiderman club is an Otaku association with shelves full Spiderman figurines.
(n) set (of items). group (of people); class (of students); company (esp.
construction); family (i.e. mafia); team. typesetting; composition
(v5m) to cross (legs or arms); to link (arms). to put together; to
construct; to assemble; to produce (e.g. TV program). to braid; to plait.
to grapple; to wrestle. to unite; to link up; to form an alliance. to set (e.g.
type). to issue (e.g. money order)
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Centralized networks of railroads, subway lines or telephone wires are like threads
coming out of one source (Tokyo, Paris, telephone exchange...).
(n) ones line of sight; ones gaze; ones eyes (looking); glance; gaze;
look
(n,n-suf) line; stripe; stria. line (e.g. telephone line); wire. ray (e.g.
X-ray); beam. line (e.g. of a railroad); track; route; lane. outline; contours;
form. level. division. line (of action); position; approach; policy; principle.
impression one leaves; air one gives off
(n) line; track; roadbed
: sppol
: time passing, experience
Time passes like a thread wrapping around a spool and its elapsed once the thread
is completely coiled up.
(n,vs) experience
(v5t,vi) to pass; to lapse
(n,vs) management; administration
: thin
One wheat ear (thread) in a whole field looks really really thin.
(adj-i) small; fine; minute. stingy; cheap.
(v1,vt) to make narrow.
217
(adj-i) small. fine; minute. minor; trivial. sensitive; attentive;
.
: paper
: compilation
, , scrapbook
You steal every Spiderman poster from every store door and compile it in a scrapbook.
(n,n-suf) compilation (of a text); editing; (n,n-suf,ctr) volume (of a text).
completed literary work
(n) editor (in publishing, etc.)
(n) editor-in-chief.
: salary
: elementary
grow up,
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: linage
: cocoon
: mysterious
A mysterious man wearing a top hat and a cocoon on the rest of his body...
: ratio, to lead
, four drops,
219
(adj-na,n) frankness; candour; candor; openheartedness; directness; .
(n) probability; likelihood; chances
: behind
, ,
When a caterpillar goes out of its cocoon, it leaves its walking legs behind and
takes off.
(n,adj-no) behind; rear. after; later. after ones death. remainder; the
rest. descendant; successor; heir. (arch) past; previous; (n-adv) more (e.g.
five more minutes)
(n,adj-no) last; end; conclusion; latest; most recent; (exp) (after tara form or -ta form followed by ga) no sooner than; right after (often having
negative consequences). (arch) ones final moments
(n-adv,n-t) after that; afterwards; thereafter.
: person in charge
: finish
Nested scale pictogram. Imagine a clown with a big top hat covering most of his
body climbing a scale and weirdly diving in the small pools water when hes finished.
(v5m,vi) to finish; to end; to be completed. to merely result in something less severe than expected. to feel at ease. to feel unease or guilt for
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CHAPTER 9. THREADS
troubling someone; to be sorry
Chapter 10
Feelings
Kanji that are related to feelings.
Heart
: concept
: feeling, desire
Feelings are what you feel in your heart right now! When you desire something,
you generally want it NOW.
(n) sense; idea; thought; feeling. desire; concern. attention; care; .
(n,adj-no) idea; notion; conception. sense (e.g. of duty); (n,vs,adjno) resignation; preparedness; acceptance. (Buddh) observation and contemplation; .
(adv) (just) making sure; just to be sure.
221
222
: to feel, sentiment
, ,
When youre emotional, words protest (demonstrate) from your heart to your
mouth.
(v1) to feel; to sense; to experience
(n) feeling; sense; impression
(n,vs) sense; sensation; feeling; intuition
: urgent, crisis
, ,
Urgent: the crisis has degenerated: theyre now fighting with bound up sharp metal
brooms (note: not rakes) and one of them already has his heart stripped...
(adj-na) urgent; sudden; abrupt. sharp; steep; precipitous. rapid;
swift; fast; (n) emergency; crisis. hurrying; haste. (in gagaku or noh) end
of a song
(v5g,vi,vt) to hurry; to rush; to hasten; to make something happen
sooner; .
(adj-na,n) rapid (e.g. progress)
: Asia
Asia: picture a barred mouth (China, North Korea, USSR) or a mouth with two
chopsticks.
: purpose, attitude
Self-help book: Purpose and attitude are abilities of the heart blah blah blah....
223
(adj-i) hateful; abominable; poor-looking; detestable. amazing; fantastic; admirable; lovely; wonderful.
(n) evil; wickedness
(adj-na,n) the worst
: un-, faulty
Pictogram of a jail bars, well use jail cell as a component meaning. People in jail
cells are faulty, un-educated, un-safe, un-sociable, un-ruly, un-whatever-stereotype...
: crime, guilt
The NSA has an Eye to watch all of your crimes like illegal download and lying
on an Internet form and soon theyll put you in a jail cell for that. I do hope you feel
guilty!
(adj-na,n) crime; fault; indiscretion; sin
(n,adj-no) crime
(n) criminal; sinner
: sad
If you went to jail for such a stupid reason, youd sure be heartbroken and terribly
sad.
(adj-i) sad; sorrowful
(n) sadness; sorrow; grief
224
: red
, , ,
Note: The dagger component is not written as usual. Someone is stabbed with a
dagger and red drops fall on the ground.
(adj-i) red. Red (i.e. communist)
(n) red; crimson; scarlet. red-containing colour (e.g. brown, pink, orange).
(col) Red (i.e. communist). (abbr) red light. (abbr) red ink (i.e. in
finance or proof-reading); (in) the red; (adj-no,n-pref) complete; total; perfect;
obvious; (n) copper.
(adj-na,n) bright red; deep red; flushed (of face); (adj-na) downright (e.g. lie); complete; utter
: bay, gulf
, apple,
Nested apple component: a part of . William Tell still shoots apples with his
bow, but this time separated by the water of a whole gulf... and shoots the apple
anyway!
: passion
apple,
This kanji means a non-necessarily reciprocal love. The love between Snow White
and the Prince Charming begins when Snow White eats the apple and her heart stops
beating.
(n) love; tender passion
(n) lover; sweetheart
225
(n,vs,adj-no) love; love-making; passion; emotion; affections
: sorrow
, crown, heart
In the middle of the summer, Hamlet (father) loses his crown and his heart! Of
course he feels sorrow as a ghost, and so does his son.
(adj-i) unhappy; sad; gloomy.
(v1,vt) to grieve; to lament; to be anxious; to be distressed
(adj-na) languorous; weary; listless. somber; sombre; gloomy;
despondent.
: kind
: endure
, ,
What the mangas bad guy is enduring is a dagger in his heart from which emotional
blood drops are flowing... So hes really really evil.
(v5b,vt) to conceal oneself; to hide. to endure
(n) ninja (persons in feudal Japan who used ninjutsu for the purposes
of espionage, assassination, sabotage, etc.)
(n) (uk) Davallia mariesii (species of fern). Lepisorus thunbergiana
(species of fern). color of clothing layers under ones overcoat (light green on
blue). (abbr) ancient womens hairstyle. (abbr) clothing patterned using the
fern Davallia mariesii.
: acknowledge
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Japanese government: we hereby acknowledge with fancy words that what the
Chinese people have been enduring during WWII because of us is baddd (20M+
deaths)...
(v1,vt,uk) to write up.
(n,vs) confirmation; verification; validation; review; check; affirmation; identification
(n,vs,adj-no) acknowledgement; acknowledgment; recognition; cognition; .
Grow into
: life
, grow up
Nested primitive grow up. All forms of life have grown up from a single drop (a
cell).
: moon
grow up,
Scientists: we took a bit of the moon and grew it up, it ended up blue.
(adj-i) blue; green. pale. unripe; inexperienced
(n,adj-no,adj-na) blue. green; (n) (abbr) green light. black (horse coat
color); (pref) immature; unripe; young
(adj-i) pale; pallid. bluish-white
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: pure
: to request, to invite
Asking for a favor is spraying words until your opponents face turns blue
(n,vs) appeal; call for something; request; claim; demand; (n)
axiom
(n,vs) claim; demand; charge; application; request; billing (for a
service)
(n,vs) application; request; petition
: blame
: volume, pile up
This years volume of wheat is low. Who should we blame? The ruling politicians
of course!
(v5m) to pile up; to stack. to load (car, ship, etc.); to pack. to
acquire; to accumulate
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: harm
, grow up,
If you have kids growing up in your house, you remove anything they can put in
their mouth so they dont hurt themselves.
(n) victim; injured party; sufferer
(n) (suffering) damage; injury; harm
(n) injury; harm; evil influence; damage
: proportion, to divide
The proportion of people harmed by sabers is really really low compared to guns
or cars.
(v5r,vt) to divide; to cut; to break; to halve; to separate; to split; to rip;
to crack; to smash; to dilute
(n,n-suf) rate; ratio; proportion; percentage. profit. assignment. 10%;
unit of ten percent. (sumo) match; schedule of matches; (n-suf) diluted with
(of drinks); mixed with
(v1,vi) to break; to be smashed. to split; to crack; to fissure; to
be torn. to be divided; to cleave. to come to light; to be identified; to be
established; to become clear
State of mind
: state of mind
: emotion, sentiment
The blue state of mind is... whatever emotion you want, this depends on you and
your nationality.
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: sex, nature
Sex is the state of mind that gives birth to life. Its also the only state of mind
of some men...
(n,adj-no) woman; female. (ling) feminine gender
(n) potentiality; likelihood; possibility; availability
(n) ones nature; ones destiny. custom; tradition; habit.
: deceased
Pictogram of an unfinished coffin. Maybe the maker just fell and died in it before
finishing it.
(v5r,vi) to die
(n) widow
(adj-pn,n) the late; the deceased.
: busy
Busy = mindless = deceased state of mind. Think about any manga/drama salaryman.
(adj-i) busy; hectic; occupied; engaged
(adj-na,n) busy; pressure of work
(adj-na) looking busy; appearing busy; looking restless.
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: desire
, ,
The kings desires often result in a ton of dead flesh, think about any example in
your country history.
(v5m,vt) to desire. to wish for; to expect. to see; to command (a
view of)
(n) wish; desire; hope. prospect; expectation; (ones) hopes
(n,vs) disappointment; despair
: 100000000
A mere manga character idea can sell more than 100 million copies, 1,0000,0000,
1 .
(num) 108; 100,000,000; hundred million
(n) billionaire; multimillionaire; very rich person.
(n) several hundreds of millions of yen.
: guillotine
: to decide
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(v5r,vi) to be decided; to be settled. to look good in (clothes); .
: pleasant
New Monty Python movie about the French revolution! Alllwaayyss loook onnn
the briiight side of life... If you hate Monthy Python, just put yourself into the
executioners shoes: how convenient the guillotine is to him!
(adj-na,n) unpleasant; displeasure; discomfort
(adj-i) pleasant; agreeable
(n) pleasant feeling
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Chapter 11
Entertainment
Arts
: entertainment
Pictogram of a hi-fi system with two side speakers and a central one for low frequencies.
: art
, resin
Nested resin primitive. A bunch of kids spread resin all over the boulevard for
whichever event. The mayor prohibits cleaning because its art.
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234
: to mention
resin,
Late at work: But no media mentioned there was resin on the road! Not my
problem, youre fired.
(v1,vt) to state; to express; to mention
(n,vs) description; descriptor
(n,vs) affidavit; deposition; testimony
: to flow, stream
, infant,
infant,
Movies, Drawing
: central
You can imagine a target pictogram or a person with a big mouth.
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(n,adj-no) centre; central; center; middle
(suf) middle; centre; center.
(n) centre; center; middle.
: center
Englishmen think London is the flower at the center of the world eg. Greenwich,
Commonwealth...
(n,adj-no) English (language)
(n,n-pref,n-suf,abbr) Britain; British.
(n) Great Britain; the United Kingdom.
: to reflect, to display
The Sun is the center of the solar system and virtually everything else reflects its
light.
(v5r,vi) to be reflected; to harmonize with (harmonise); to come out
(photo); to be projected; to be displayed (on a screen)
(v5s,vt) to project; to reflect; to cast (shadow)
(v5s,vt) to project; to reflect
: face
Trivial mask pictogram.
(n) face. surface.
(adj-i) interesting; amusing
(n,adj-no) ground; earths surface
: shovel
, , ,
236
: to draw
, ,
Personally, I just see a drawing pictogram, but the components are explicit too:
imagine drawing on the ceiling with a sprout and a shovel...
: vague
, , eye, crotch
When youre waking up, you often see fuzzy, like you have water in eyes and the
sun light hurts them. For some men, touching their crotch is a helpful stimulant.
(n) cartoon; comic; comic strip
(n) two-person comedy act (usu. presented as a fast-paced dialogue,
occ. presented as a skit); comic dialogue
(n) cartoonist; manga artist
: mosaic
(n) huge comma design
(ateji,n,adj-no,uk) Paris (France).
(n) 3 fat-comma shapes arranged to form a circle. (abbr)
3-way struggle (wrestling, etc.).
: color
The Rubiks cube is a cubic mosaic with six colors bound up.
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(n) colour; color. complexion. appearance; look. love; lust; sensuality;
love affair; lover. kind; type; variety
(n,adj-na,adj-no,adv,adv-to) various. (arch) various colors (colours);
.
(adj-i) yellow. high-pitched (voice); shrill
: excuse
Pictogram of a funny rabbit. Have fun imagining him begging pardon.
: elephant, phenomenon
: picture, statue
238
: shape (primitive)
: shape
Both a sculptor and a kid playing with Play-Doh need both hands to form a good
shape.
: scene, landscape
: shadow
239
(n) face; looks; vestiges; trace
: visit
, ,
A Democratic politician pays a visit to a redneck but his elbow ends up bitten by
the rednecks big dog. Its gonna in a really bad shape for a while.
(v5r,vi) (hum) to go; to come; to call. to be defeated; to collapse; to
die. to be annoyed; to be nonplussed. to be madly in love. to visit (shrine,
grave)
(n,vs,adj-no) participation
(n,adj-no) reference; consultation
: discipline
, , ,
Segata Sanshiro still teaches discipline (playing Sega Saturn), but this time he uses
both a walking stick and his walking legs to reshape the undisciplined ones.
(n,vs,adj-no) repairing; mending; servicing
(n,vs) (Buddh) ascetic practices. training; practice; discipline;
study
(n) monastery; convent; cloister; abbey
Music
: sound
This kanji is very similar to primitive (muzzle) but means the opposite! Imagine
a tongue wagging in the mouth of a standing tenor/soprano/whatever to get sound.
(n,n-suf) sound; noise; report. note (music). fame
(n) footsteps (sound)
(n) sounds
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: idea
Ideas are sounds from the heart, especially when youre so excited about them it
makes your heart pound faster.
(n,vs) meaning; significance
(n,vs) preparation; arrangements; provision; getting ready; laying out
(e.g. a meal)
(n,vs) caution; being careful; attention (heed); warning; advice
: enjoyable
, ,
An enjoyable white source surrounded by nice trees, wherever you imagine it.
(adj-i) enjoyable; fun
(n) music; musical movement
(adj-na,n,n-suf) comfort; ease; (n) (abbr) raku pottery
: legal drugs
: voice
A samurai splits the enemys flight with his shrilling voice.
(n) voice
(n,adj-no) loud voice
, ,
241
(n,adj-no) low voice; whisper
: song
, ,
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Chapter 12
Body
The epic climax of Smart Kanji Book! Spoiler: at the end, the main character dies ;}.
Parts
: body
Chuck Norris exercises his body with piles of books because osmosis works with
him!
(n,adj-no) body; (n) torso; trunk. build; physique; constitution;
(n,adj-no) health; (n) corpse; dead body
(n,adj-no) body; (n) torso; trunk. build; physique; constitution;
(n,adj-no) health; (n) corpse; dead body
(n,comp) Gothic typeface (usu. sans-serif).
: hand
Pictogram of a 4-finger hand, such as Micky Mouses.
(n) hand; arm. (col) forepaw; foreleg. handle. hand; worker; help.
trouble; care; effort. means; way; trick; move; technique; workmanship.
hand; handwriting. kind; type; sort. ones hands; ones possession. ability
to cope. hand (of cards). direction; (n,n-suf,ctr) move (in go, shogi, etc.); .
(n) companion; partner; company. other party; addressee. opponent
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244
(n,adj-no) letter
: to raise, to elevate
, tool,
A tool that helps you hold on an owl with your hand to elevate yourself as in Zelda
OOT.
(v1,vt) to raise; to elevate. to do up (ones hair). to fly (a kite,
etc.); to launch (fireworks, etc.); to surface (a submarine, etc.). to land (a
boat). to show someone (into a room). to send someone (away). to enrol
(ones child in school); to enroll. to increase (price, quality, status, etc.); to
develop (talent, skill); to improve. to make (a loud sound); to raise (ones
voice). to earn (something desirable). to praise. to give (an example, etc.);
to cite. to summon up (all of ones energy, etc.). to arrest. to nominate.
(pol) to give. to offer up (incense, a prayer, etc.) to the gods (or Buddha,
etc.). to bear (a child). to conduct (a ceremony, esp. a wedding); (v1,vi)
(of the tide) to come in; (v1,vi,vt) to vomit; (aux-v,v1) (uk,pol) to do for
(the sake of someone else); (suf,v1) to complete .... (hum) to humbly do
...
(n,vs,adj-no) election
(adv) at a stroke; with a single swoop
: delicious
Hummm, this Nutella jar is soo delicious I put my spoon over and again in it as if
it were the sun.
(n) center (centre); pillar; principle. purport; gist; drift; meaning; .
(adj-i) skillful; clever; expert; wise; successful. delicious; appetizing;
appetising. fortunate; splendid; promising
(exp,n) (words to) that effect.
245
(n,vs) indication; instruction; designation; directions
(v5s,vt) to point at.
: villain
I just picture a bad robot or a monster with a shovel.
: brain
, ,
The brain is the flesh/part of the body that both wise owls and clever villains use.
(n,arch) brain; skull; head.
(n) head; brains; intellect
: illness (primitive)
: tired, exhausted
Youre exhausted by your illness but oh God how much better it is to be under
your fur quilt than working...
246
: stature, height
Illness
: third class
Travelling third class is like boarding a plane clandestinely: youre inside the baggage hold and the ceiling touches your head.
(n) 3rd in rank; third sign of the Chinese calendar.
(n) C-grade; third-class.
(n) third of the sexagenary cycle.
: illness
: tent
Pictogram of a tent with fancy things in it.
, , ,
247
: co-workers
Segata Sanshiro, just like most Japanese salarymen, brings a tent at work to put
all-nighters with his Sega coworkers.
(n) bureaucrat; bureaucracy
(n) cabinet ministers
(n) colleague; workmate; comrade; coworker
: heal, treatment
: cure, reign
Poseidon reigns over all waters from his pedestal. Also, hes a lvl20 cleric so he
can cure.
(n) Meiji era (1868.9.8-1912.7.30)
(n) politics; government
(n,vs,adj-no) medical treatment; cure.
: bone
: line, queue
RPG clich: a line of skeletons with sabers.
248
: example
Segata Sanshiro is showing the example to kids by standing in line and scolding
those who dont... Their bodies will remember!
1: custom; practice; habit; usual;2: said; aforementioned;3: instance; example; case; illustration; usage;4: precedent;5: annual
1: example;2: simile; metaphor; allegory; fable; parable
monthly
: to remain
Nested primitive cut into pieces composed of and two sword slashes. When
pirates and warriors lost, all that remained of them was a bunch bones cut into
pieces...
: death
When you die, the Grim Reaper cuts your bones and eats you.
(v5n,vn,vi,sens) to die
(n,n-suf) death; decease. (arch) death penalty (by strangulation or decapitation)
(n,adj-no,sens) dead body; corpse; cadaver
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